Fatima Muhammad

Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — Only a few shops selling accessories, abayas and dresses have been able to find enough Saudi women to work for them, a Saudi Gazette survey of businesses in the city has revealed.



Almost all shops in a major shopping mall in Jeddah have posters advertising vacancies for Saudi women to work, especially those selling women’s fashion.



Malls and its shops have virtually turned into recruitment offices where posters are placed everywhere advertising for Saudi women to work as administrators, supervisors, brand managers and cashiers.



Speaking to workers at the mall, Saudi Gazette discovered that only a handful of shops managed to recruit Saudi women at the last moment.



A high school graduate who just applied for her first year at college said she joined her new job as a cashier at a women’s accessories shop a few days ago after undergoing one week of intensive training.



She is still unsure about remaining in her job after her college restarts. Another veiled young Saudi in an accessory shop said she is upset working as a cashier because of the heavy workload and the bad manners that some customers have.



Wafa complained of customers who mess up displays and refuse her help when they look at products.



Wafa is working on a contract that is renewed only every three months, something she said calls into question the protection provided to them as cashiers. “I do not think I will last long here, despite the good treatment that I receive from my company.



“I want a stable administrative job with reasonable working hours.” Fawz, a manager at an abaya shop, said that only women managers and deputy mangers have to work two shifts in Ramadan. However, she said cashiers have to work only one shift.



She said: “Though they are asked to work only one shift, many girls work for a couple of days and they just leave.



Other obstacles for serious women workers include finding transportation and nurseries for children.



Fawz said: “By employing a maid to look after the kids and a driver to drop us at work and back home, we end up with minimum financial benefit.”



Ayman Awad, a Yemeni salesman at a wedding dresses shop, said that the company where he works has seven branches around the Kingdom but none of the branches recruited women.



He said he would remain in his job until a woman replaces him. “Women do not want to work in here. We have placed job announcements at our doors but only a few approach and they do not last,” he said.



Awad added that the business owner told them that if he did not find women to work he would focus his business on something else. Asked about what will he do in the future, he said he would be moved to another department at the company.



“We have been given until the 15th day of Ramadan to find women workers. “If no women are employed then we will be asked by the ministry to close down the shop. “This is a tough rule.”



Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor has recruited 45 women to monitor the employment of women at shops selling abayas, dresses and accessories.