RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States Princess Reema bint Bandar has said that Saudi reforms have positioned women to become vital contributors to the economic future of the Kingdom.
Princess Reema highlighted some of the progress made in Saudi Arabia since the introduction of the Saudi Vision 2030 reform initiative. She said the national agenda, led by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, has prioritised inclusivity.
Women’s advancement in Saudi Arabia
She said that today in Saudi Arabia, there are more females receiving advanced degrees than males, more females enrolling in STEM, and more than 40 per cent of small and medium-sized startup enterprises are owned by females. Women today in the Kingdom enjoy equal pay.
She added that the World Bank (WB) looked at 190 economies and they ranked the Kingdom number one in terms of economic and social progress for females.
Read Also: Saudi Arabia Offers Condolences to Algeria on Wildfires Victims
The princess further said that the recent progress for females is very profound. However, she said there was still more work to be done. It was necessary to ensure there were more females in leadership roles to promote inclusivity.
She said it was important that there is investment in females’ empowerment and that advancement required to embrace gender equity as if it does not, it is not real development.
