DUBAI — Financial literacy and self-sufficiency can empower women in many ways, said Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema Bint Bandar in a video campaign by the Rockefeller Foundation.

“Today more and more women are entering the workplace, but they still don’t have the education to make the correct financial decisions for themselves,” she said.

The princess was in video call, as part of the Rockefeller’s “Solvable” campaign, involving experts and leaders from all around the world talk about a specific issue they are passionate about, and what they are doing to solve it.

She said that during her time in retail, many of her female employees would approach her about their financial issues, prompting her to realize that something had to be done “to give women access to the right tools and training” to overcome these problems.

“My goal is to educate women on financial literacy,” the Saudi ambassador added, talking about Alf Khair, a social enterprise she founded in 2013 to “educate, train, and develop the skills” of Saudis.

“I truly believe that liberty for a woman comes from the ability to make the financial decisions for her life,” she said.

Princess Reema is Saudi Arabia’s first female ambassador, and had been the vice president of women’s affairs at the General Sports Authority before her appointment. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in museum studies from George Washington University. — SG