In a passionate op-ed published by Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., H.R.H. Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud urges leaders and others around the world to do more to support gender equality and argues “there is no better time to advance women’s roles in society than now.”
The Ambassador also called the election of Kamala Harris, the first woman to hold the office of Vice President of the United States, a “milestone.”
“Women around the world are making impressive strides; they’ve led the fight against Covid-19, are increasingly taking on senior policy positions and running corporate board rooms, as part of an increasing number of thought leaders who are making a difference that will inspire generations to come. To support this momentum we urge leaders, policy makers and tech pioneers to engage more of their efforts into rectifying long-standing gender inequalities. 2021 is the year for fresh thinking, the time to embrace re-invention, as we collectively push for greater equity for women and girls.”
Princess Reema bin Bandar Al-Saud.
“We’ve seen great progress. Every region in the world has made gains in ensuring the legal treatment of women. More women and girls have access to education and healthcare than they ever did in the past. Technology is also being harnessed to reduce gender barriers. Start-ups and tech companies are deploying job-hiring software platforms that use Artificial Intelligence to weed out bias and human resource analytic tools that allow deeper participation from all staff, regardless of seniority or gender.”
But the Ambassador cautioned that “progress shouldn’t be measured by just the number of women in leadership positions alone or by symbolic breakthroughs; it should be defined by equal access to professional opportunities and education, greater access to finance and healthcare, and more female voices in the community.”
Ambassador Reema said that she believes there are a number of solutions that could help us focus policies toward expanding gender equality, including expanding internet access into homes and rural communities, increasing access to financial literacy, and more directly supporting the roughly 252 million female entrepreneurs around the world.
“While there have been significant gains for women, we believe that more needs to be done. There is no better time to advance women’s roles in society than now — there needs to be a Neo-Renaissance, a rethinking. Since we can’t go back to the way things were, let’s be more inclusive going forward.”
[Click here to read the full op-ed by Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud in Harper’s Bazaar]
IMAGE: March 2, 2020 – Washington, DC, USA: U.S.-Saudi Business Leaders Forum. Photo by Ian Wagreich/ © U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
