LOCAL VIEWPOINT
By Abid Khazandar
Al-Riyadh newspaper


A study published by Al-Riyadh newspaper revealed that almost half of all women graduates of computer and IT specializations are unemployed. The research sample included more than 300 Saudi female CIT graduates from the past five years.

The survey highlights the absence of women from the IT profession even though the usual impediments to female employment do not exist. IT affords women the luxury of being completely segregated from men in an office environment, or if she prefers, she can even fulfill her duties from home.

The real reasons talented women graduates choose to stay away from IT jobs are low salaries and job insecurity. Foreigners from the Asian sub-continent on the other hand are willing to accept lower salaries and longer working hours.

Given the current state of affairs, it is a moral imperative that the Ministry of Labor helps alleviate the joblessness of our female graduates.

They are a precious natural resource who are willing and able to contribute to our Kingdom’s prosperity.

The research study was authored by Laila Ahmad Al-Safdi and Rana Abdullah Abu Nafeesa from King Saud University.