FATIMA MUHAMMAD
SAUDI GAZETTE
JEDDAH — A Saudi female researcher has pointed out various obstacles that hinder women in the Kingdom reaching leadership positions. Manal Kattan, a PhD student at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Spain, conducted a study titled “Factors of Successful Women Leadership in Saudi Arabia.”
Kattan's study noted at least five factors affecting women leadership in the Kingdom. First is culture since organizations are part of society and its culture where women tend to face many obstacles that deprive them of the opportunity to land leadership positions.
The second factor is education, which is essential to help women get the needed knowledge to become leaders. Society itself plays a crucial role if it provides a positive view of women, which if applied will speed women participation in leadership positions, the study pointed out. Further, to become leaders women need to undergo training to develop effective leadership skills.
The study noted that the obstacles and the segregation that Saudi women face in society affect their efforts to get experience or knowledge as they have only a limited number of opportunities, which makes it hard for them to gain long experience or advanced knowledge.
The study was the outcome of interviews with 12 Saudi women who are in leadership positions, followed by survey conducted among 50 individuals, 13 of whom men.
Of the women leaders who were interviewed for the study, 17 percent had less than 10 years experience and 42 percent less than 20 years experience. The majority of them worked in the education sector.
Results showed that women with high qualifications received more training and have increased knowledge and experience. The results also indicated a lack of experience in leading organizations.
The study suggested that cultural barriers that stand against women's access to leadership positions could greatly be reduced by knowledge attainment. It also recommended that women should benefit from the opportunities available to enhance their presence in the job market.
The study also demanded further research into obstacles facing Saudi women in this regard and ways to overcome them. It also demanded focusing on training and increasing women participation in the private sector.
