Riyadh: Saudi-led efforts to empower women came under the limelight in the United Nations in New York.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia believes work is a woman’s right,” said Tamadar bint Yousef Al-Ramah, who was appointed as deputy minister of labor and social development last month.
Addressing the 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting, she said that Saudi had put put in place a program that supports the economic empowerment of women and increases their participation in the workplace.
Citing update statistics, she said that women now make up 56 percent of Saudi university graduates, she said, as reported by Arab News.
Some 205,000 female students receive grants to study abroad each year and women are bagging more jobs in private, public and government institutions.
Uner the Vision 2030 reform agenda launched by Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia aspires to raised the participation of women in the Saudi workforce from 22 percent at present to 30 percent by 2030.
Saudi officials are also loosening social restrictions on women, who can now attend sports events and will be allowed to drive cars from June as the Kingdom embraces a more open and tolerant interpretation of Islam.