Saudi female entrepreneurs exploit changing attitudes
It's not easy being a female entrepreneur in a country where women need a male guardian's permission to work, rent property or travel. Yet in Saudi Arabia, a small but determined number of women are overcoming these obstacles to build their own thriving businesses. Social constraints in the conservative Kingdom have not stopped women from amassing substantial individual wealth. An estimated $11.9 billion is held by women primarily in bonds and bank accounts, according to asset managers Al Masah Capital. As it seeks to hedge against its overdependence on oil, there is increasing government recognition that women have a part to play in Saudi's economic development.
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Last year, King Abdullah signaled that women will have the right to run and vote in the 2015 local elections, and be appointed to the Shura Council, the most influential political body in the country. He has since allowed women to work in lingerie shops and enter sports stadiums. In May, King Abdullah dismissed his ultraconservative adviser Sheik Abdul-Mohsen al-Obeikan after he publicly criticized reforms aimed at softening restrictions on women.
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Alkhaled notes that, although many of the entrepreneurs she had interviewed felt "empowered" by their business experience, and were motivated by a desire for gradual social change, they expressed respect for their society's traditions. "They don't want to challenge the religious side of it. They just want their right to live and work in society. They're not looking to fight the conservatives on their views.
The women also felt a patriotic pride in Saudi Arabia, despite the obstacles they had encountered. "All the women said, 'If I had to pick up my business and put it anywhere else in the world tomorrow, I would flatly refuse,'" Alkhaled said. "Saudi Arabia is quite a new country and they really want a hand in building it."
http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/30/business/saudi-female-entrepreneurs/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2
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last one. i enjoyed reading VC post on islamic feminist. this is a good news article. even with the struggles ahead, it is movement forward
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