Women Empowerment in Saudi Arabia: An Analysis from Education Policy Perspective

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia witnessed a great revival in many different aspects, such as health, education, buildings and business. Women education in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an area in which women have experienced significant progress. The Saudi government has gone to considerable efforts to increase girls' access to education and reduce the gender gap at different educational levels. Today, reforms in the education system for girls have become a priority as well as an excellent challenge for the Saudi government. In 1953 The Ministry of Education was established, and public schools for boys were open the same year. Girls were still confined to their homes by the traditional norms of gender segregation. Their education was restricted to the house, where a sheikh would teach them how to read the Holy Qur'an and the basics of writing. It was only in the late 1950s and early 1960s that significant steps were taken to open the first schools for girls in Saudi Arabia. By the mid-1970s, about half of all Saudi girls attended school. In the early 1980s, education was available to all Saudi girls, and young women were already enrolled in and graduating from the universities. The public system of women's education in Saudi Arabia is segregated and is supported by the Saudi government. This paper will analyse women empowerment in Saudi Arabia through the framework of educational development. The objective of the paper is to highlight the current status of women in Saudi society in general and education in particular.