An Eye-Opening Visit for Australian Women
By Suzan Zawawi
The Saudi Gazette
RIYADH
AUSTRALIAN and Saudi businesswomen found more similarities than differences during their meeting at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Saturday.
The 14-women delegation arrived in the Kingdom last Tuesday for a two-week visit.
The Australian women came from different professions and backgrounds: government, education, commerce and art. Most of the women in the delegation were members of the Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce located in Canberra.
During their visit they attended a women’s-only business forum, met Saudi women and visited Al-Nahdah Women’s Society and the Supreme Commission of Tourism.
During their visit to the women’s branch of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Huda Al-Jeraisy, chairwoman of the Executive Council at the RCCI, answered the most common question foreigners ask: why women’s branch of the RCCI is separated from the men’s and whether this separation causes any difficulties?
“We have it separate to abide by Islamic teachings,” Al-Jeraisy answered.
“But by having a separate women’s branch, the specialized needs of businesswomen have been met through the separate specialized department.”
“Not only are we offering specialized services for women but we are able to employ more women.
If we would have one branch for both men and women, women would be competing against men for services, employment and even experience,” she said.
“Women in the RCCI do not have to compete with their male counterparts,” Al-Jeraisy explained. But she pointed out the two branches are not completely separated from each other even though they are in separate buildings.
“We have forums, conferences and meetings with each other via video conferencing,” she said.
Fiona Hill, the head of the Australian delegation, said she understood the need for specialized services for businesswomen.
“We don’t have a special Chamber of Commerce and Industry for women in Australian but we need one,” Hill said.
The delegation head invited Saudi businesswomen to visit Canberra.
“It’s a golden opportunity to deepen our relationship,” she said. “I hope this is the start of our cooperation.”
The Saudi and Australian sides also discussed establishing a Saudi-Australian women’s group to enhance and reinforce the relationship between the two countries at the commercial and industrial levels.
Each member of the delegation talked briefly of her experience, impressions and interests during the meeting.
Jill Koolmees, a freelance writer who is accompanying the delegation, said she was impressed by the Saudi women she had met.
“It has been such an exciting time; we met women who seem to be ready to take over the world,” she said.
An Islamic Art historian and consultant, Susan Scollay, was interested in medium and small businesses run by women in remote areas and villages.
Within the few days she has been in the Kingdom, she has seen a lot of pride toward their culture in Saudi youth, said Megan Durant, an associate marketing and communications director at La Trobe University. Since La Trobe University has many Saudi students on campus, Durant was particularly interested in the needs of her Saudi female university students.
“I am here to understand what they need and how to make their stay at our university more comfortable,” Durant said.
Patricia Gurry, director of Ryebuck Media Ltd., is interested in how her multimedia educational company could design lessons on Saudi Arabia, the country, its people and history, into curriculums when needed.
This is the second women-only business delegation to the Kingdom. The first delegation came from the US two weeks ago.
Only six out of the 14 American businesswomen who were initially scheduled to join the trip, arrived in Riyadh.
“The American women said many of the other women were too scared to come to Riyadh, thinking it was not safe for them,” Al-Jeraisy said.
“After arriving here, they said they would go back to the US and tell those who chickened out that their fears were unfounded.”