Women Empowerment

Women’s Empowerment

The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia places great importance on achieving complementary equality between men and women across various fields, with a focus on strengthening women’s rights and providing them with the necessary support and care. This contributes to improving the work environment in all sectors. The National Platform provides comprehensive information on women’s rights in accordance with Saudi regulations, in addition to judicial decisions that support women’s empowerment. These include education, training, health, social support, the National Family Safety Program, as well as women’s empowerment in justice, business, and politics. For more information, please visit the National Platform website.

Gender Equality

The Kingdom’s regulations, derived from Islamic Sharia, are based on the principle of complementary equality between men and women, taking into account the characteristics and attributes of each gender to achieve justice. The Kingdom believes that the complementary relationship between genders is an effective means to protect and promote human rights, as men and women enjoy full equality in many rights, such as the right to work, education, health, and economic rights.

Enhancing Women’s Participation

The Human Rights Commission in the Kingdom affirms the right of both women and men to submit reports regarding rights violations through the designated channels. The Kingdom has also implemented substantial reforms to enhance women’s participation in economic development, such as:

• Standardizing the retirement age for both genders.
• Preventing gender-based discrimination in wages, job type, work fields, and working hours.
• Enabling women to conduct business without prior approval.

Equality in the Workplace and Wages

To ensure a discrimination-free work environment, the Saudi Labor Law stipulates equal rights and obligations for men and women, including:

• Equal pay for work of equal value and nature.
• Equal access to unemployment benefits.
• Participation in training programs aimed at enhancing employment opportunities.

Furthermore, Chapter Nine of the Labor Law regulates the employment of women, ensuring their rights within the workplace. Individuals or entities are entitled to file complaints regarding violations of labor laws, including wage equality issues.

Equality in Education and Training

The Kingdom’s regulations guarantee the right to free education for all citizens without discrimination, based on the belief in the importance of education for achieving sustainable human rights development.

Women’s Empowerment in Riyadh Municipality

Riyadh Municipality seeks to empower women by providing a supportive work environment and equal opportunities in various fields. The Municipality focuses on enhancing their participation in municipal and community activities, contributing to sustainable development.

Some of the initiatives include:

1. Productive Families Permits

Riyadh Municipality enables families to obtain a Productive Family License to legally practice commercial activities in accordance with the regulations.

Service link: Productive Family Permits

2. Basata Riyadh Initiative

Riyadh Municipality continues its efforts to enhance the role of women and empower them economically and socially through various initiatives, most notably the “Basata” initiative, which provides a vital platform to support female entrepreneurship and encourage participation from different groups.

The initiative offers women the opportunity to showcase their handmade, innovative, and artisanal products to a wide audience. It also provides a supportive environment for interaction with entrepreneurs and investors, helping women gain valuable experience and develop their commercial projects.

Through Basata, Riyadh Municipality affirms that women’s empowerment is not just a slogan but a practical approach aimed at creating equal opportunities and strengthening women’s presence in the economic and cultural landscape of the city—contributing to the realization of Saudi Vision 2030 in supporting women’s active participation across all fields.