Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Exploring Cultural and Institutional Drivers of Saudi Women's Labor Force Participation(King's College London, 2024) Lowloh Sharbatly, Dalyah Hasanain; Jayal, NirajaThis paper investigates the cultural and institutional factors influencing Saudi women's participation in the labor market, particularly focusing on leadership roles, within the framework of Vision 2030. The main research question addressed is how the nature of the work/care regime in Saudi Arabia affects policies and initiatives aimed at empowering women. The study employs Pocock's work/care regime framework to analyze the interplay between work and care responsibilities, alongside cultural and institutional contexts that shape women's work-life outcomes. Data was collected through exploratory cultural and institutional analyses, focusing on sociocultural norms, legal constraints, and labor market reforms. Key findings reveal that while recent reforms under Vision 2030 have increased women's workforce participation, significant barriers remain due to entrenched cultural norms and inadequate institutional support. Women face challenges such as limited career advancement opportunities, unequal pay, and a lack of respect and decision-making authority compared to their male counterparts. The study concludes that achieving genuine empowerment requires addressing these structural and sociocultural barriers. Policy recommendations include the development of advanced training programs, regulatory reforms to promote gender equality, and culturally tailored work-life balance policies to support women's dual roles in society. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on women's empowerment in Saudi Arabia by providing insights into the effectiveness of Vision 2030 initiatives and offering strategic recommendations for enhancing female participation in the labor market.26 0Item Restricted Understandings and Experiences of Sports, Physical Activity and Related Digital Campaigning Among Saudi Young Women in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-12-06) Almohammadi, Nuha; Vicari, Stefania; Weiner, KateThis thesis explores the way social media sports campaigning contributes to Saudi women’s understandings of physical activity and sports in relation to gender norms in Saudi Arabia. It also investigates how these campaigns are received by Saudi women who are exposed to these activist messages. Through eight focus group discussions with 32 female university students at King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this study explores the participants’ understandings and experiences of physical activity and sports. It also examines their views about digital campaigning. Furthermore, through 11 semi-structured interviews that used the scroll-back method, this study explores the participants’ personal experiences of social media use and of different forms of digital sports campaigns in relation to femininity and dress codes. The study identifies the role of place, Islam, traditions and society’s beliefs, family influence and structural issues, and the intersections of these issues in relation to Saudi women’s understandings and experiences of physical activity and sports. It suggests that the way in which Saudi young women understand physical activity and sports is not entirely dictated by these issues; rather they are exerting their agency in ways that enable them to counter or negotiate these influences. The study also shows how digital sports campaigning is significant for Saudi women at a personal and individual level. In particular, social media influencers, celebrities, and sportswomen seem to be critically important in contributing to the understanding of femininity and dress codes. The study overall is contributing to scholarship on intersectional feminism, particularly in the Saudi Arabian context. It illuminates the way intersectionality works in shaping experiences and understandings of digital campaigning in Saudi Arabia.22 0Item Restricted What Saudi Women Needed to Achieve a Leadership Position(Dalal Alghamdi, 2023-07-15) Alghamdi, Dalal; Donne, VickiThroughout the years, Saudi Arabia has faced widespread gender gaps, discrimination, and inequality; however, due to 2030 visions, government reforms, and law changes, there has been an improvement in women's rights which has led to a significant increase in women's employment. Saudi women today are better educated, more informed, and more financially independent than ever, which has ushered in a rising process of women's empowerment. From interviews with eight Saudi women leaders, this paper discusses Saudi women’s leadership experiences and the various possibilities for improving women’s leadership experiences, such as social support, societal changes in cultural practices, and improving Islamic principles regarding women’s roles. Also discussed within the paper are recommendations including how education, training, Islamic religion, and self-belief would help Saudi women overcome some barriers to leadership opportunities.31 0Item Open Access CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS PREVENTING SAUDI ARABIAN WOMEN FROM PARTICIPATING IN SPORTS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A SCOPING REVIEW(2021-10-25) Alay, Hana; Tomaz, SimonBackground: Several challenges contribute to reduced physical activity (PA) among Saudi women. To improve participation rates in sports and PA, and ultimately achieve Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals of a 40% increase in the population’s PA rates by 2030, these barriers must be addressed. This scoping review explores the challenges and barriers preventing Saudi women from participating in sports. Methods: A scoping review utilizing Arksey and O’Malley’s framework was undertaken to identify and map available literature addressing the challenges preventing Saudi women from participating in sports and PA. The databases searched included PubMed and Saudi Digital Library (SDL). Additional searches were performed using Google Scholar, Trove, and gray literature. Results: An initial search yielded 286 articles (PubMed n = 125; SDL n = 13; Google Scholar, Trove and gray literature n=148) After the removal of all duplicates, 281 articles remained. Abstract and title screening reduced the field to 79 publications. After full-text reviews were conducted, nine articles were included in the final review. Four themes were identified during the analysis of the articles: i) physical activity rates, ii) motivating factors and attitudes toward sports, ii) barriers and challenges, and iv) Vision 2030 changes. Conclusion: Findings confirm that the reduced physical activity participation rate among Saudi women can be attributed to barriers to participating in sports and PA. One of the goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is to increase physical activity levels in Saudi Arabia by 40% by 2030. Addressing these challenges will improve women’s participation rates in sports and will eventually contribute to the achievement of the country’s Vision 2030 health and wellness strategic goals.37 0