Iman bint Habas Al-Mutairi, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Commerce and CEO of the National Competitiveness Center, highlighted the country's commitment to women's empowerment and economic participation during an event on "Equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems." The event, organized by Saudi Arabia's mission to the UN in Geneva and co-sponsored by Denmark and Nigeria, coincided with the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council.
During her address to ambassadors and representatives of permanent missions in Geneva and UN organizations, Al-Mutairi highlighted the significance of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which serves as a framework for the country's economic transformation. Under the direction of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, this vision gave women's participation in the Kingdom's different disciplines and levels a priority.
The panel session at the event featured Nicole Emeline from the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Tine Morch Smith (permanent representative of Norway to the UN in Geneva), Eghobamien-Mshelia Esther (vice chair of CEDAW), and Christine Arab (representative of UN Women). The session was moderated by Lama Ghazzawi, a member of the Saudi Human Rights Commission.
Al-Mutairi recognized Saudi women's crucial role in the country's transformation, with their participation in development as a core objective of Saudi Vision 2030. Through initiatives supporting women's policies, women now hold senior positions and accounted for 41 percent of senior and mid-level roles in the business sector in 2022. Over 9,000 Saudi women leaders are registered in the national platform, Qiyadiyat.
Furthermore, Al-Mutairi outlined the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to increase the already achieved success and discuss the difficulties that women in the workplace encounter. These efforts include programmes that support equal pay, safety precautions, childcare services, and the Wusool programme, which subsidises 80% of working women's transportation costs.
Al-Mutairi met with Nicole Emeline and Abdulmohsen Majed bin Khothaila, the permanent representative of Saudi Arabia to the UN Office in Geneva, to discuss collaboration between the Kingdom and the CEDAW committee. They placed a focus on clear communication, shared perspectives on human rights reforms, and highlighted Saudi Vision 2030's plans to increase women's involvement in growth.
