20180913191430chapter 5 2

ABSTRACT
The topic of women empowerment in Saudi Arabia has attracted international attention in
recent years. Noticeably, women in Saudi Arabia still constitute less than 16 percent of the national
workforce in spite of there being as many qualified women as men. There is a serious need for
reforms in the political, law and labor market sectors. While putting emphasis on the importance of
women’s contribution to progress and development, this thesis aims to study and analyze the factors
influencing women empowerment in Saudi Arabia with regards to the fulfillment of the New Vision
2030. The extent to which entrepreneurship is possible for women in Saudi Arabia is also looked into
and its capability to enhance Saudi’s financial independence, social-cultural autonomy, and general
welfare. Based on the Tenth Saudi Development Plan (2015-2019), empowering women in Saudi
Arabia has been outlined and elaborated in details within a development plan for the first time. In
addition to the development plan, the New Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia launched by the Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman has given great consideration on empowering the women in Saudi
Arabia. In the New Vision 2030, there shall be an increase in the percentage of women engaging in
the labor market from 22 percent to 30 percent. The study endeavored to attain the following
objectives: to investigate the influence of social factors on the position of women in the society, to
establish how individual factors influence women empowerment, to examine the influence of policy
factors on women empowerment and lastly to explore the influence of ideological factors on women
empowerment. The accessible population for this study was 70 people with higher education
academic qualifications and above. Ostensibly, this study established that there is a gradual rise in
the population of females enrolling for post graduate studies recently relative to the past regime.
DEDICATION
To my father and my mother who encouraged me to reach my goal.

To my wife, my sisters and brothers, I appreciate their faith in my abilities.
Table of Contents
List of Tables
Table 4. 1 Women are more qualified than men in terms of labor skills requirements Error! Bookmark
not defined.
Table 4. 2 Women can help steer the New vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia when empowered ................ 20
Table 4. 3 The new Vision 2030 does not have greater impact as far as women .Error! Bookmark not
defined.
Table 4. 4 Women’s education is key to ensuring development in the society ................................... 22
Table 4. 5 Women’s education is key to ensuring development in the society .................................... 22
Table 4. 6 Most women in Saudi do not know their rights ...................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Table 4. 7 There should be policies implemented to ensure the status of women in ........................... 24
Table 4. 8 Women are now permitted to drive vehicles. ....................................................................... 25
Table 4. 9 There are transportation policies that directly affect women in Saudi Arabia. ..................... 26
Table 4. 10 The level of women participation in politics, economy, and public life is good in general. 27
Table 4. 11 Islam religion has positive contribution to women in carrying leadership in both private and
public sectors. ....................................................................................................................................... 27
Table 4. 12 Religious leaders do not give women a chance to lead in the mosques ........................... 28
Table 4. 13 Islam religion has helped in uplifting women ..................................................................... 29
Table 4. 14 Women can successfully lead organizations ..................................................................... 30
Table 4. 15 Crosstab between marital status and employment status ................................................. 31
Table 4. 16 Crosstab between level of education and employment status .......................................... 32
Table 4. 17 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Women and men have equal opportunities in Employment’
................................................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Table 4. 18 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Women can successfully lead organizations’ .................... 34
Table 4. 19 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Islam religion has helped in uplifting women’ .................... 34
Table 4. 20 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Religious leaders do not give women a chance to lead in
the mosques’ ......................................................................................................................................... 35
Table 4. 21 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Women are now permitted to drive vehicles’ ..................... 36
Table 4. 22 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Women’s education is key to ensuring development in the
society’ .................................................................................................................................................. 37
Table 4. 23 Crosstab of marital status on ‘The new Vision 2030 does not have greater impact as far
as women empowerment in Saudi Arabia is concerned’ ...................................................................... 38
Table 4. 24 Crosstab of level of education on’ Women and men have equal opportunities in
Employment’ ......................................................................................................................................... 39
Table 4. 25 Crosstab of level of education on ‘Women can successfully lead organizations ‘ ............. 40
Table 4. 26 Crosstab of level of education on ‘Islam religion has helped in uplifting women’ .............. 41
Table 4. 27 Crosstab of level of education on ‘Religious leaders do not give women a chance to lead
in the mosques’ ..................................................................................................................................... 42
Table 4. 28 Crosstab level of education on ‘Women are now permitted to drive vehicles.’ ................. 43
Table 4. 29 Crosstab of level of education on ‘Women’s education is key to ensuring development in
the society’ ............................................................................................................................................ 44
Table 4. 30 Crosstab of level of education on ‘The new Vision 2030 does not have greater impact as
far as women empowerment in Saudi Arabia is concerned’ ................................................................. 45
Table 4. 31 Binary Logistic regression of employment status on selected variables ........................... 46
Table 4. 32 Ordinal regression of Women and men have equal opportunities in employment on
selected variables ................................................................................................................................. 47
List of Figures
Figure 3. 1 ............................................................................................................................................. 14
ABBREVIATION AND ACRONYMS
CEDAW - Convention of Eliminating Discrimination against Women.
UN – United Nations
TEVT – Technical Education & Vocational Training
UNIDO – United Nations Industrial Development Organization
GAStat – General Authority for Statistics

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background Information
Since time immemorial, women have been demeaned, dehumanized, secluded, marginalized,
silenced and subjugated. Ostensibly, the topic of women empowerment in Saudi Arabia has attracted
global attention in recent years. Despite the significant increase in females’ involvement as active
members of the community within the complex communal context of the region, there are several
difficulties that come with it.
The topic of entrepreneurship with respect to women’s rights and their experiences in the
ownership of businesses has been important in academic discourse. Women across different parts of
the globe undergo various challenges including financial obstacles and biases in favor of male
counterparts. However, the case is kind of intense in Saudi Arabia as the females face extremely
incredible challenges in conducting business as the owners and even networking with other business
owners and interacting with clients. The reason for the challenges can be attributed to the insufficient
government aid and financing, the absence of business enlightening chances and hurdles based on
cultural and religious factors. For instance, a major legal challenge is the fact that females need a
male guardian’s go ahead to travel or work which is attributed to religious and cultural doctrines. Such
acts affect women’s opportunities to start their own enterprises or even secure employment away
from home vicinity.
Women's education in Saudi Arabia is majorly organized based on the principles of Islam,
which is the fundamental and official religion of the country. The history of education of women is
dated back to 1956 when the first girls' school was introduced. The girls' school referred to as Dar al-
Hanan and few girls had the opportunity to be enrolled in school. Following this was the first state-run
school for girls which was introduced in 1960. Until around 2002, the women education at all levels –
primary, high school, secondary and university, was controlled by Department of Religion whereas for
men it was controlled by the ministry of education (Bowen, 2014). The major reason as to why girls'
school was regulated by the department of religion was to ensure that women were taught in line with
the principles of Islam. It was also choreographed to make women loyal to the religion and also to
men. In addition, women are not permitted to work in similar jobs as men as most Saudi men and
women regarding the nature of women to be different from that of men. This societal take explains the
reason as to why only particular jobs such as nursing and teaching are open to females as opposed
to jobs like engineering.
The topic of empowering women to work in the various fields to boost the Saudi Arabian
economy has been a subject of debate for many years (Smith & Abouammoh, 2013). According to a
study conducted by Welsh et al (2014) to examine the benefits of educating women in Saudi Arabia, it
revealed that educating the women led to 55 percent of women owning businesses in the country.
With the increase in a number of women owning their own businesses, the economy has
subsequently grown by more than 20 percent in the last one decade. A study conducted by Smith &
Abouammoh (2013) also shows that by 2019, the Saudi Arabia economy will have doubled due to
women participation in business.
Reforms on the empowerment of women in Saudi Arabia have been given the most attention
in the nation and, by large, it has been incorporated in the 10th Saudi Development Plan (2015-2019)
as one of its key goals. The plan has an in-depth illustration of how women are to be empowered
which is the first time women’s agenda has been stated and discussed in a development plan in
Saudi Arabia.
1.1 Statement of the Problem
Ostensibly, there has been a rise in the creation of awareness to empower Arabian females
through initiatives such as the Tenth Development Plan (2015-2019) and the New Vision 2030 of
Saudi which give consideration to women empowerment. However, there still exist hardships in
attaining equality for women in Saudi Arabia as there are no detailed research and studies to give
Arabian women, researchers, Non-Governmental Organizations, academia and non-Muslims the
necessary steps to be taken to aid with ensuring gender balance within Saudi Arabia. There seems to
be a conflict in differentiating religious rights, cultural rights and constitutional rights in the
predominantly Muslim nation. The confusion of distinguishing the three rights has led to most women
accepting traditional patriarchy within the community in spite of seeking for gender balance. Over
time, Arabic women have come to learn about the benefits and importance of feminism which has
subsequently led to a gender balance manifestation. However, most Saudi women are reluctant on
engaging in the fight against gender inequality due to the following reasons: differences in sex
obligations, the individual family set up, personification against the robust organization, and the
varying legal position for Arabic women (Badran, 2002). Whereas some researchers have related the
gender inequality in Saudi Arabia to be caused by majorly religion and the nature of women in a
society, little is known of the factors influencing women empowerment in Saudi Arabia. It was,
therefore, crucial to look at the aspects that influence women empowerment in Saudi Arabia among
them being religion, social, policy, and ideological factors.
1.2 The Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing women empowerment in
Saudi Arabia and to give an in-depth and comprehensive description of the past experiences of
women in Saudi Arabia. Also, the study aimed at illustrating on how the New Vision 2030 will enhance
women empowerment and how the Saudi women would help the economy to achieve their goal by
2030.
1.3 Research Objectives
The Objectives of the study included:
 To investigate the influence of social factors on women empowerment in Saudi Arabia.
 To determine how religious factors influenced women empowerment in Saudi Arabia.
 To examine the influence of policy factors on women empowerment in Saudi Arabia.
 To explore the influence of ideological factors on women empowerment in Saudi Arabia.
1.4 Research Questions
This thesis was guided by the following questions:
 What social factors do Arabians consider when it comes to women empowerment in Saudi
Arabia?
 How do religious aspects influence women empowerment in Saudi Arabia?
 To what extent do policy aspects influence women empowerment in Saudi Arabia?
 Which Ideological factors influence women empowerment in Saudi Arabia?
 Will women empowerment help the economy of Saudi Arabia? If yes how?
1.5 The Significance of the Study
This study stands pivotal in contributing knowledge not only to the Saudi Arabian government
at large but also to the women of Saudi Arabia especially in regards to the labor market department.
The findings of the study might help the government understand the factors that influence women
empowerment in Saudi Arabia and thereby ensuring that the initiatives and policies employed to
enhance women empowerment in Saudi Arabia do not lose their intended purposes. The study may
also help the Arabian community to appreciate the importance of women towards boosting the
economy of Saudi Arabia and how the women will help achieve the New Vision 2030. From the
research findings, the women in Saudi Arabia might be informed of the ideological and social factors
that may be contributing to the confusion of distinguishing cultural rights, religious rights, and
constitutional rights.
1.6 Limitations of the Study
Given that various labor markets in Saudi Arabia have different views on the role of women,
generalization will be made cautiously. A study of the required qualifications for both the male and
female gender thus needs to be carried out separately. Secondly, the study is focused on women who
have advanced to a higher level of education and beyond and thereby making a generalization of the
other categories of women in Saudi Arabia not to be possible. Thirdly, the study area is in an urban
setting and this may limit comparative analysis with the rural setup, which could give the study a
complete framework on the factors that influence women empowerment in Saudi Arabia. In such a
case, therefore, a study of both urban and rural set up would be applicable ideal for comparative
analysis. Since the study is also limited to Saudi Arabia, it cannot, therefore, be generalized to other
Arabic or Muslim nations. The study was focused on social, religious, policy, and ideological factors
and not any other potential factors that may bring in a better analysis for the study. Lastly, the study
faced limitations with regards to time and finances which was overcome by organizing additional
sources of funds and time out of the busy schedule.
1.7 The Scope of the Study
The study focused on the urban areas of Saudi Arabia and was restricted to the factors influencing
women empowerment in Saudi Arabia. Among the factors considered in this thesis included the
social, policy, religious and ideological aspects in Saudi Arabia. The respondents of the study were 70
individuals with higher education academic qualifications and above.
1.8 Assumptions of the Study
This research was underlined by the following assumptions:

 That both women and men have met the minimum qualifications to participate in the labor
market.
 That all labor market industries and agencies have sound management practices and
competent managers.
 That all the respondents gave accurate and honest information.
 That all potential participants consented to be included in the study
 That all stakeholders involved in women empowerment programs have some consideration in
mind when handling the topic.
2.0 Operational Definition of Terms
Factors: These are issues that influence the decision-making process.
Influencing: The ability to have the power to change a course of action.
Social Factors: These are issues based on the cultural, traditional and ethical practices and beliefs
of a community that influence women empowerment.
Religious Factors: These are issues related to the country’s predominant religious practices and
beliefs that affect women empowerment.
Policy Factors: These are aspects related to government and labor market industry policies together
with the administrative operations that may impact on women empowerment.
Ideological Factors: Just like religious and social factors, these are values such as political
affiliations that affect women empowerment.
Patriarchy: Refers to a group of social connections within men which have a solid foundation and
enable them to have interdependence and unity, through the hierarchy, and subsequently dominate
women.
Women Empowerment: Refers to the creation and enhancement of an economic, legal, social, and
political environment that is favorable to women to ensure gender equality and make the women have
confidence in claiming for their rights for both their personal gains and the society at large.
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
This chapter highlights on how the data was sourced, processed and analyzed. It contains
information on research design, study area, target population, sample and sampling procedure, the
research instruments, validity and reliability of instruments, the trustworthiness of qualitative
instrument, data collection, data analysis, and ethical considerations. The qualitative data were
analyzed using only descriptive statistics. The descriptive data was used to describe and summarize
the statistics in the form of charts, tables, frequencies, and percentages. For the qualitative data, a
thematic analysis approach was used. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22
was used to analyze the data.
3.2 Source of Data
This study applied both primary and secondary methods of data collection. Primary data can
be referred to as raw information which is costly to come by and for this study will include
questionnaires and interview schedules. Since the study wants to establish about women
empowerment in Saudi Arabia, 70 women in institutions of higher education will be given the
questionnaires and 30 women in the labor market will be interviewed. Secondary data can be referred
to as data that is already existing that has been already researched on. For this study, the secondary
sources will include literature books, journals, educational sites, organization site and government
sites.
3.3 Place of Survey
This study was conducted in the urban areas of Saudi Arabia which has a population of
approximately twenty million and an area of about two million kilometers. Saudi Arabia is one of the
Arabic countries found in the East and is the fifth largest state in Asia and second largest in the Arab
world. The state is bordered by Iraq and Jordan to the North, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and
Bahrain to the East, Yemen and Oman to the South. Most of its terrain consists of mountains and arid
desert and it is the only country having both a Persian Gulf coast and a Red Sea coast. The nation
has centuries-old attitudes and traditions mostly derived from Arab civilization. This culture has been
heavily influenced by the Wahhabi form of Islam which came about in the eighteenth Century and now
dominates the country. Its command economy is petroleum-based with approximately 90% of export
earnings and 75% of its budget revenues generated from the oil industry. Amongst the biggest
challenges facing Saudi Arabia’s economy is enhancing education, diminishing inequality and
corruption and reversing or halting the decline in per capita income. Fair enough, education is free at
all levels.
3.4 Respondents
The respondents in this study will be entirely women in Saudi Arabia since the study is based
on women empowerment in Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires of both closed and open-ended questions
will be given to 70 women in institutions of higher learning in Saudi Arabia and interview schedules
will be carried out with 30 women in the monetary agencies to represent the labor market sector.
3.5 Sample Design
A research design can be thought of as the structure or the glue that holds all the elements in
research. It is the scheme, outline or plan that is used to generate answers to research problems
(Orodho, 2003). The study on women empowerment in the urban areas of Saudi Arabia adopted a
descriptive survey design. This model gave the researcher confidence that results can be generalized
to the target population (Yin 2003). The reason is that it is involved in a field where the researcher
went out and described the chief variables affecting the reverse logistics practices. According to
Kerlinger (1999), descriptive survey methods are not only restricted to fact findings but often result in
the formulation of important principles of knowledge and solutions to significant problems. They
present data in a meaningful form thus help to understand the characteristics of a group in a given
situation. Further, survey method is capable of providing generalized information on a variety aspects
of women empowerment. Data collected through survey were therefore essential in advancing our
understanding of what influences women empowerment in Saudi Arabia especially in the labor
market. Being an efficient means of gathering information about a population, it made possible to
accurately estimate the characteristics of the target population without interviewing all the members of
the population (Bryman, 2008).
Social
Factors
Education
Human
Development =
Religious Women
Factors Empowerment
Figure 3. 1
3.6 Sample Size
A sample is a small part of a statistical population whose properties are studied to gain
information about the whole (Orodho and Kombo, 2002). From the target population, both purposive
and stratified random sampling was used to give the study sample. Purposively, the researcher drew
the sample from individuals in higher education (and beyond) and the private sector in the ratio 5:1.
According to Newman (2003) stratified random sampling is used when the population is not
homogenous and in this case, there were individuals both from monetary agencies and higher levels
of learning. Stratified random sampling method would ensure inclusion in the method subgroups
which otherwise could entirely be omitted by other sampling methods due to their small numbers
which were considered.
3.7 Research Instruments

The study used the following instruments:
 Questionnaires
According to Orodho (2004), a questionnaire comprises of a written set of questions to be
completed by individual respondents. It is always accompanied by general information of what is
expected from the respondents and instructions on how to complete the questionnaire. According to
Mugenda and Mugenda (2003), questionnaires give a detailed answer to complex problems.
Questionnaires are also a popular means of data collection in deduction because of their relative ease
and cost-effectiveness of construction and administration. The questionnaire is a powerful scientific
instrument for measuring different variables as in the case of this study (Bryman, 2008); and was the
best method to deal with such a large number of respondents who were geographically dispersed in
various regions, since they were sampled using random sampling technique. The questions used in
this research were mainly closed to ensure that the respondents were directed to the specific area of
research and this provided most valid and reliable information needed to arrive at a
conclusion. The first part of the individuals’ questionnaire dealt with demographic information
on family background. The second part had questions on different aspects of the factors
influencing women empowerment in a Likert scale and this was used to further enhance
reliability.
 Interview Schedule
An interview is a two-person conversation initiated by the interviewer for specifically obtaining
research relevant information focused on content specified by research objectives of systematic
description or explanation (McKeown and Beck, 2006). The researcher used interviews as a
complementary method of data collection for this study and was a major means of determining the
understanding of the key actors or stakeholders involved in the policy process (Amin, 2005). The
interview schedules had both closed and open questions and were used because the respondents
are varied in their experiences and areas of specialties as well as for purposes of triangulation. The
closed questions were intended to provide the individuals from the monetary agencies women
empowerment background, while the open dealt with their perception on women empowerment and
the factors that they consider in choosing between a male and a female.
3.8 Data Analysis
Data analysis was both quantitative and qualitative.
3.8.1 Quantitative Data Analysis
Quantitative data from questionnaires were edited hence provided the opportunity for
identification and correction of wrong entries, errors in responses, omissions and other
inconsistencies. Open ended questions were grouped into themes or sub-themes then coded. The
final data was corrected in preparation for coding and tabulation according to major variables included
in the questionnaire. The coding system was incorporated in the Statistical Package for Social
Science (SPSS) version 22 data analysis software. According to Wolverto (2009), descriptive analysis
involves a process of transforming a mass of raw data into tables and charts with frequency
distribution and percentages.

Data Analysis involved the application of the two types of statistical techniques namely descriptive
statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics were used to compute percentages, means,
frequency distribution and correlation. This analysis was conducted according to the research
questions. The data was primarily presented using frequency distribution, tables, graphs and pie
charts for quick reference. Inferential statistics such as Pearson correlation and regression analysis
were used to analyze the quantitative data.
3.8.2 Qualitative Data Analysis
The study followed the principles of thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke (2006).
Thematic analysis, according to the two individuals, is a method for identifying and analyzing patterns
within data. It minimally organizes and describes data set in details. Furthermore, thematic analysis
interprets various aspects of research. Thematic analysis was found appropriate for this study
because it is not grounded on any particular theoretical and epistemological framework and can,
therefore, be applied across a wide range of qualitative research approaches, making it flexible.
Thematic analysis has the merits and demerits. The merits it accommodates the large data sets and
flexibility which allows researchers to test multiple theories across the board.
Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data and focused on the discussion of the
themes. The analysis emphasized on the organization of data which was rich in descriptive data set. It
went further in creating themes developed on each objective of the study, from which questions are
developed. Thematic analysis has merits and demerits with the merits including its suitability for large
data sets and flexibility which allows researchers to test various theories. Demerits of thematic
analysis are that its flexibility makes it complicated since it brings forth various aspects of data to be
worked on. The interview and data analysis were used in order to determine the monetary agency
individuals’ perception of the factors that influence women empowerment in Saudi Arabia.
3.9 Variables
A variable can be referred to as a unit which impacts or is impacted by another unit. In this
study, the variables are education, employment, social factors, religious aspects, ideological aspects,
policy factors and human development/women empowerment. This study tries to assess how women
empowerment/ human development is impacted by education and employment.

3.10 Dependent variable
These are the variables that the researcher is concerned about and are affected by the other
variables. The changes that come about due to these variables are the point of interest for the
researcher. For our study, the dependent variables are education and employment which are a
measure of human development and women empowerment.
3.11 Independent variables
These are the variables that are changed or controlled in a research proposal to test the
effects on the dependent variable. In this study the independent variables are social, policy,
ideological and religious factors that impact on human development/ women empowerment.
3.12 Statistical Methods
1) Descriptive Statistics
Descriptive statistics such mean, variance, minimum and maximum values, provides
fundamental information on the selected variables in order tto make decision for application of those
in in advanced level of statistical analysis.
2) Cross-tabulation
Cross-tabulation has been considered to use in order to find the association between teo
qualitative variables. The strength of the association is assessed by the Pearson chi-square.
Pearson Chi-square
Pearson chi-square test used to assess the relationship in cross-tabulation. The formula of this is:
r c (Oij  Eij )2
  
2
i 1 j 1 Eij
where Oij is observed frequency, and Eij is expected frequency, which is compared with critical chi-
square at α level of significance and (r-1)(c-1) degrees of freedom.
3) Binary Logistic Regression
Dependent variable:
a) Whether employed or unemployed

Y = 1 employed, and 0 = unemployed
b) Whether women and men have equal opportunities in employment
Y=1, if agree on it; otherwise Y = 0.
Independent variables:
Age, marital status (single =1, ever-married =0 ) and education level
The expression of binary logistic model )logistic regression function) is presented here with n
observations and p predictors. The probability p is modeled as:
p  Pr(Y  1| X 1  x1 ,..., X p  x p )
 0  1 x1   2 x2  ,..  p x p
e
   1 x1   2 x2  ,..  p x p
1 e 0
p
The odds ratio for the event is , and
1 p
p    x   x  ,..  x
e 0 1 1 2 2 p p
1 p
The logit transformation of the odds ratio is:
 p 
ln 
    0  1 x1   2 x2 ,..   p x p ,
 1 p 
which is linear function of the parameters  0 , 1 ,..,  p
4) Ordinal Logistic Regression
Y = Whether men and women have equal opportunities in employment
1= strongly agree, 2= agree, 3= partly agree,4 =neutral, 5 = partly disagree, 6= disagree
7 = strongly disagree
The expression of the model with n observations and p parameters is given below. The response
variable falls into k categories (1, 2, …, k) in order. Let Y denote the response variable. The
cumulative distribution for Y is
Fj ( xi )  Pr(Y  j | X i  xi1,..., X p  xip ); j  1,2,...,(k  1)

The proportional odds model is given by,
 F j ( xi ) 
L j ( xi )  ln    0 j  1 j x1i   2 j x2i  ...   pj x pi
 1  F j ( xi ) 
 
for j=1, 2, ..., (k-1)
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 DATA TABULATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1Frequency Tables
Table 4. 1 Women are more qualified than men in terms of labor skills requirements
Response Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Valid Strongly Agree 9 16.4 17.0 17.0
Agree 2 3.6 3.8 20.8
Partly Agree 7 12.7 13.2 34.0
Neutral 21 38.2 39.6 73.6
Partly Disagree 8 14.5 15.1 88.7
Disagree 2 3.6 3.8 92.5
Strongly Disagree 4 7.3 7.5 100.0
Total 53 96.4 100.0
Missing System 2 3.6
Total 55 100.0
This table examines the way individuals responded to the statement: “Women are more qualified than
men in terms of labor skills requirements.” The participants were instructed to indicate whether they
“strongly agree,” “agree,” “partly agree,” are “neutral,” “partly disagree,” “disagree,” or “strongly
disagree” with the statement. A total of 53 people responded. Out of these, a total of 11 agreed (of
which 9 strongly agreed, and 2 agreed). In addition, 7 people partly agreed. Altogether, 18 people
indicated some degree of agreement with this statement. A similar number of respondents remained
neutral – 21 people. Only 6 people disagreed or disagreed strongly, while 8 people disagreed partly.
Thus, the number of people who indicated some degree of disagreement with this statement is 14,
which is smaller than the number of people who agreed to some degree. Thus, we can conclude that
there is nearly 1/3 of the sample who agreed in some form; however, a majority of those sampled to not
believe that women are more qualified than men in labor skills. The difference between the number of
people who agreed and the number who disagreed also does not seem large enough to suggest that
there is a strong support for this point of view in the sample.
Table 4. 2 Women can help steer the New vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia when empowered
Agree 7 12.7 13.7 49.0
Partly Agree 5 9.1 9.8 58.8
Neutral 8 14.5 15.7 74.5
Disagree 3 5.5 5.9 90.2
Total 51 92.7 100.0
Total 55 100.0
A total of 51 people responded to the statement “Women can help steer the New vision 2030 of Saudi
Arabia when empowered.” Their options were to indicate whether they “strongly agree,” “agree,” “partly
agree,” are “neutral,” “partly disagree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree” with the statement. A total of
18 people strongly agreed with the statement, while 7 respondents agreed, and 5 partly agreed. Thus,
30 people out of 51 agreed with the statement in some form. As for those who disagreed, 5 people
disagreed partly, while 3 disagreed, and 5 disagreed strongly. Thus, a total of 13 people disagreed with
this statement in some form, which is about one fourth of the sample. A total of 8 people were neutral.
Since a majority of people indicated some form of agreement with the statement, we can conclude that
most people support the idea that women can help steer the New vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia. However,
we do not know whether this majority was statistically significant, and would need to run tests, such as
the t-test to determine this. Still, the support for this idea among those sampled is not overwhelming,
as 21 people either remained neutral or disagreed with this statement.
Table 4. 3 The new Vision 2030 does not have greater impact as far as women Empowerment
in Saudi Arabia is concerned
Agree 2 3.6 3.8 11.5
Partly Agree 7 12.7 13.5 25.0
Neutral 15 27.3 28.8 53.8
Disagree 8 14.5 15.4 78.8
Total 52 94.5 100.0
Total 55 100.0
Fifty-two people responded to the statement “The new Vision 2030 does not have greater impact as far
as women empowerment in Saudi Arabia is concerned.” The participants were instructed to indicate
whether they “strongly agree,” “agree,” “partly agree,” are “neutral,” “partly disagree,” “disagree,” or
“strongly disagree” with the statement. A total of 13 people agreed with the statement in some form.
Most of these 13 people only partly agreed (7 subjects), while 4 subjects agreed strongly and 2 just
agreed. This is not a high amount of support for this statement, as it is only about one fourth of the
given sample. Also, both of the preceding statements received a higher amounts of support. Fifteen
people were neutral. Thus, more people were neutral than agreed with the statement. Five people
partly disagreed, eight people disagreed, and eleven people disagreed strongly. Thus, about nineteen
people either disagreed or disagreed strongly. Clearly, more people disagreed with the statement than
agreed, and even more disagreed in some form, including partly. These results seem to indicate that
most people do not agree that the new Vision has a greater impact on women empowerment in Saudi
Arabia. In addition, a large amount of people disagree strongly (about as many as the total for
agreement in any form).
Table 4. 4 Women’s education is key to ensuring development in the society
Agree 2 3.6 3.8 59.6
Neutral 8 14.5 15.4 80.8
Disagree 2 3.6 3.8 84.6
Total 52 94.5 100.0
Total 55 100.0
A total of 52 people responded to the statement “Women’s education is key to ensuring development
in the society.” A majority of respondents strongly agreed with this statement: 29 people in strong
support. In addition, 2 people agreed, and 3 people agreed partly. Thus, a total of 34 people agreed
that women's education is important to development in the society in some form. Ten people disagreed
in some form, of which 8 disagreed strongly. Eight respondents remained neutral. Thus, a total of 18
respondents either remained neutral or disagreed with the statement that women's education is key.
This is only half of the total number of respondents who agreed in some form. Thus, the number of
respondents who agreed is a lot higher than that of those who disagreed OR were neutral. This is the
strongest majority in support of a statement that we have seen among the the tables analyzed so far.
In addition, an overwhelming majority of those who agreed in some form, agreed strongly. This
sweeping support for the statement may be due to its simple language and a universally positive
meaning. We would need to check different variations of the message, to make sure the wording was
neutral enough, and the answers were not prompted by the wording.
Table 4. 5 Women’s education is key to ensuring development in the society
Agree 5 9.1 9.6 63.5

Neutral 5 9.1 9.6 78.8
Disagree 3 5.5 5.8 84.6
Total 52 94.5 100.0
Total 55 100.0
When the statement “Women’s education is key to ensuring development in the society” was presented
to 52 subjects again, 28 people agreed strongly. Only 5 people agreed, and 3 agreed partly. A small
group of subjects, only 5 people, remained neutral. Eight people disagreed strongly, while 3 people
disagreed. Thus, an overwhelming majority of those sampled, a total of 36 people supported the
statement in some form. Less than one fourth of the sample disagreed, a total of 11 subjects, while
only 5 remained neutral. We can conclude that there was continuing support for the idea that women's
education is key to ensuring development in the society, with a small group of people that disagree,
and disagree strongly at that. This may be a group of people with strongly held conservative views,
although this group is fairly small. The support by the statement may be due to simple and positive
terminology that juxtaposes education and development, both of which are positive concepts to most
people. It may be helpful to test other variations of this statement to assess the effect of the wording
on the degree of response, as well as to run statistical tests, in order to determine whether the results
are statistically significant.
Table 4. 6 Most women in Saudi do not know their rights
Agree 5 9.1 9.4 39.6
Partily Agree 5 9.1 9.4 49.1
Neutral 7 12.7 13.2 62.3
Disagree 1 1.8 1.9 79.2
Total 53 96.4 100.0

Total 55 100.0
A total of 53 subjects responded to the statement “Most women in Saudi Arabia do not know their
rights.” The participants were instructed to indicate whether they “strongly agree,” “agree,” “partly
agree,” are “neutral,” “partly disagree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree” with the statement. Sixteen
people strongly agreed with this statement, while 5 agreed, and 5 agreed partly. Thus, a total of 26
people agreed with this statement in some form. We can see that slightly fewer than the majority of
respondents supported this statement. A total of 20 people disagreed with this statement. Of these,
11 people disagreed strongly, one person disagreed, and 8 people disagreed partly. Only 7 people
were neutral. Thus, nearly comparable amounts of people agree and disagree that most women in
Saudi Arabia do not know their rights overall, though a slightly higher number agree. A greater amount
of people agree strongly than disagree strongly. Thus, we can conclude that opinions regarding this
statement vary greatly, although there is a certain amount of support for the idea. The wording of this
statement seems a little ambiguous, which may also have led to the division of opinions among the
respondents. It could either be seen as women need to learn more about their rights, or as women do
not care to know their rights.
Table 4. 7 There should be policies implemented to ensure the status of women in Saudi Arabia is
improved.
Agree 6 10.9 11.5 51.9
Neutral 6 10.9 11.5 73.1
Disagree 7 12.7 13.5 90.4
Total 52 94.5 100.0
Total 55 100.0
This table examines the way individuals responded to the statement: “There should be policies
implemented to ensure the status of women in Saudi Arabia is improved.” The participants were
instructed to indicate whether they “strongly agree,” “agree,” “partly agree,” are “neutral,” “partly
disagree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree” with the statement. A total of 52 people responded. Out
of these, a total of 27 people agreed (of which 21 strongly agreed, and 6 agreed). Additionally, 5 people
partly agreed. Altogether, 32 people indicated some degree of agreement with this statement. Only 6
people remained neutral. In addition, 12 people disagreed or disagreed strongly, while 2 people
disagreed partly. Thus, the number of people who indicated some degree of disagreement with this
statement is 14, which is visibly smaller than the number of people who agreed to some degree. Thus,
we can conclude that a large majority, 32 people, agreed in some form with the idea that there should
be policies implemented to ensure the status of women in Saudi Arabia is improved. The difference
between the number of people who agreed and the number who disagreed is large enough to suggest
that there is a strong support for this point of view in the sample.
Table 4. 8 Women are now permitted to drive vehicles.
Agree 6 10.9 11.3 54.7
Neutral 7 12.7 13.2 77.4
Disagree 2 3.6 3.8 88.7
Total 53 96.4 100.0
Total 55 100.0
A total of 53 people responded to the statement “Women are now permitted to drive vehicles.” Their
options were to indicate whether they “strongly agree,” “agree,” “partly agree,” are “neutral,” “partly
disagree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree” with the statement. A total of 23 people strongly agreed
with the statement, while 6 respondents agreed, and 5 partly agreed. Thus, 34 people out of 53 agreed
with the statement in some manner. As for those who disagreed, 4 people disagreed partly, while 2
disagreed, and 6 disagreed strongly. Thus, a total of 12 people disagreed with this statement in some
form, which constitutes about one fourth of the sample. Seven people remained neutral. Since a
majority of people indicated some form of agreement with the statement, we can conclude that most
people support the view that women are now permitted to drive vehicles. However, we do not know
whether this majority was statistically significant, and would need to run tests, such as the t-test to
determine the significance of these findings. Still, the support for this idea among those sampled is not
overwhelming, as 19 people either remained neutral or disagreed with this statement. The wording of
the statement is straightforward, though the word “now” may carry some implication that would affect
the respondents' answers.
Table 4. 9 There are transportation policies that directly affect women in Saudi Arabia.
Agree 5 9.1 9.6 36.5
Partly Agree 6 10.9 11.5 48.1
Neutral 15 27.3 28.8 76.9
Disagree 3 5.5 5.8 92.3
Total 52 94.5 100.0
Total 55 100.0
Fifty-two people responded to the statement “There are transportation policies that directly affect
women in Saudi Arabia.” The participants were asked to indicate whether they “strongly agree,” “agree,”
“partly agree,” are “neutral,” “partly disagree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree” with the statement. A
total of 25 people agreed with the statement in some form. Most of these 25 people agreed strongly
(14 subjects), while 5 of the subjects agreed and 6 agreed partly. This is a fairly high amount of support
for this statement, as it includes nearly half of the given sample. Fifteen people were neutral. Thus,
more people were neutral than had strongly agreed with the statement, and it is a fairly high count of
the neutrally-minded, as compared with the remaining questions. Five people partly disagreed, 3
people disagreed, and 4 people disagreed strongly. Thus, about 12 people showed some form of
disagreement altogether. Clearly, more people agreed with the statement than disagreed, and while
the neutrality factor was high. These results seem to indicate that most people agree that there are
transportation policies that directly affect women in Saudi Arabia. In addition, a large amount of people
agree strongly (about as many as the total for disagreement in any form).
Table 4. 10 The level of women participation in politics, economy, and public life is good in
general.
Agree 3 5.5 5.8 15.4
Partly Agree 6 10.9 11.5 26.9
Neutral 20 36.4 38.5 65.4
Disagree 6 10.9 11.5 90.4
Total 52 94.5 100.0
Total 55 100.0
A total of 52 people responded to the statement “The level of women participation in politics, economy,
and public life is good in general.” Very few people strongly agreed with this statement: 5 people in
strong support. In addition, 3 people agreed, and 6 people agreed partly. Thus, a total of 14 people
agreed that the level of women participation in politics, economy, and public life is good in general, in
some form. Eighteen people disagreed in some form, of which 5 disagreed strongly. An unusually
large level of neutrality was observed: 20 respondents remained neutral. Thus, a total of 38
respondents either remained neutral or disagreed with the statement. Slightly below half of the total
number of respondents remained neutral. The number of respondents who agreed is nearly one fourth
of the entire sample, and slightly lower than that of those who disagreed in some form. This is the
strongest level of neutrality towards a statement that we have seen among the tables analyzed so far.
The split between those who agree and those who disagree can be called roughly even. The high level
of neutrality may be due to the idea that many people are uncomfortable or afraid of answering this
question. It may be a good idea to check different variations of the message, to see whether the wording
can sway people to answer one way or another.
Table 4. 11 Islam religion has positive contribution to women in carrying leadership in both private
and public sectors.
Agree 7 12.7 13.5 48.1

Neutral 13 23.6 25.0 78.8
Disagree 3 5.5 5.8 90.4
Total 52 94.5 100.0
Total 55 100.0
When the statement “Islam religion has positive contribution to women in carrying leadership in both
private and public sectors” was presented to 52 subjects, 18 people agreed strongly. In addition, 7
people agreed, and 3 agreed partly. Thirteen people remained neutral. Five people disagreed strongly,
while 3 people disagreed, and 3 disagreed partly. Thus, an majority of those sampled, a total of 28
people, supported the statement in some form. Less than one fourth of the sample disagreed, a total
of 11 subjects, while a similar number remained neutral. We can conclude that there was support for
the idea that Islam religion has positive contribution to women in carrying leadership in both private and
public sectors, while the group of people who disagree is very small. This is the smallest number of
people in disagreement we have seen so far, among all tables analyzed. The support of this statement
may be due to the deeply ingrained religious views in the population. It may be helpful to test other
variations of this statement to assess the effect of the wording on the degree of support, as well as to
run statistical tests, in order to determine whether the results are statistically significant.
Table 4. 12 Religious leaders do not give women a chance to lead in the mosques
Agree 2 3.6 3.8 36.5
Neutral 14 25.5 26.9 69.2
Disagree 5 9.1 9.6 86.5

Total 52 94.5 100.0
Total 55 100.0
A total of 52 subjects responded to the statement “Religious leaders do not give women a chance to
lead in the mosques.” The participants were instructed to indicate whether they “strongly agree,”
“agree,” “partly agree,” are “neutral,” “partly disagree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree” with the
statement. Seventeen people strongly agreed with this statement, while 2 agreed, and 3 agreed partly.
Thus, a total of 22 people agreed with this statement in some form. We can see that slightly fewer than
the majority of respondents supported this statement. A total of 16 people disagreed with this
statement. Of these, 7 people disagreed strongly, 5 people disagreed, and 4 people disagreed partly.
Fourteen people were neutral. Thus, nearly comparable amounts of people disagreed and remained
neutral to the idea that religious leaders do not give women a chance to lead in the mosques. A little
below half of the respondents agreed with the statement in some form. Thus, we can conclude that
opinions regarding this statement vary, although there is a certain amount of support for the idea.
However, a fairly large amount of people remained neutral. This may be due to the fact that they do
not understand or are not familiar with this issu
Table 4. 13 Islam religion has helped in uplifting women
Agree 6 10.9 11.3 52.8
Neutral 6 10.9 11.3 69.8
Disagree 4 7.3 7.5 81.1
Total 53 96.4 100.0
Total 55 100.0
This table examines the way individuals responded to the statement: “Islam religion has helped in
uplifting women.” The participants were instructed to indicate whether they “strongly agree,” “agree,”
“partly agree,” are “neutral,” “partly disagree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree” with the statement. A
total of 53 people responded. Out of these, a total of 28 people agreed (of which 22 strongly agreed,
and 6 agreed). Additionally, 3 people partly agreed. Altogether, 31 people indicated some degree of
agreement with this statement. Only 6 people remained neutral. In addition, 14 people disagreed or
disagreed strongly, while 2 people disagreed partly. Thus, the number of people who indicated some
degree of disagreement with this statement is 16, which is visibly smaller than the number of people
who agreed to some degree. Thus, we can conclude that a clear majority, 31 people, agreed in some
form with the idea that Islam religion has helped in uplifting women. The difference between the number
of people who agreed and the number of people who disagreed is large enough to suggest that there
is a strong support for this point of view in the sample. This seems to fall in line with strong respect for
religion present in the country.
Table 4. 14 Women can successfully lead organizations
Cumulative
Response Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Agree 3 5.5 5.7 35.8
Partly Agree 7 12.7 13.2 49.1
Neutral 12 21.8 22.6 71.7
Disagree 5 9.1 9.4 92.5
Total 53 96.4 100.0
Total 55 100.0
A total of 53 people responded to the statement “Women can successfully lead organizations.” Many
respondents strongly agreed with this statement: 16 people in strong support. In addition, 3 people
agreed, and 7 people agreed partly. Thus, a total of 26 people agreed that women can successfully
lead organizations. Fifteen people disagreed in some form, of which only 4 disagreed strongly, and 6
disagreed partly. Twelve respondents remained neutral. Thus, a total of 27 respondents either
remained neutral or disagreed with the statement that women can successfully lead organizations. This
is nearly half of the total number of respondents. Thus, the number of respondents who agreed is
similar to that of those who disagreed OR were neutral. Out of those who agreed, a greater part agreed
strongly. About one fourth of those sampled expressed strong support. Although the statement has
positive terminology, the support for it is not overwhelming. We would need to check different variations
of the message, in order to see whether other wordings draw the same amount of support from the
population. The lack of overwhelming support may be due to cultural factors, although there are also
very few people, who strongly oppose the idea of women's leadership.
4.2 Cross-Tabulation
The following crosstabs present association between qualitative variables and the differences
in frequency or responses by levels of the variables. First, the association has been assessed
between employment status, and marital status and level of education. Second, the association has
been assessed between the Reponses of the statements related to women perception on job
opportunity, and marital status and level of education.
4.2.1 Employment Status vs. marital status
Table 4. 15 Crosstab between marital status and employment status
Employment status
Unemployed Employed Total
.Marital status Ever-married Count 4 15 19
% 22.2% 53.6% 41.3%
Single Count 14 13 27
% 77.8% 46.4% 58.7%
Total Count 18 28 46
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = 4.441a ; degrees of

freedom = 1 p < 035
This table evaluates whether the variables, the employment status and marital status, were
independent. A total of 46 people were sampled for this test. Since the number of levels of each
variable was 2, the degrees of freedom for the was 1. These variables turn out to not be independent,
with  2  4.44 , and p<.035, significant at the .05 level. In other words, the distribution of marital
status differs, when grouped by employment. In particular, among those employed, the married and
single individuals are distributed about evenly. However, among the unemployed, there is a very high
proportion (78%) of those single. Likewise, among those married, very few are unemployed (4
persons as opposed to 15 employed), whereas among the single individuals, the counts of those
employed and unemployed are distributed about evenly. This test does not allow us to conclude
about the specifics of employment status distributed by gender. Overall, the distribution of those
ever-married ever vs. single was about 59% to 41%. This is a noticeable difference, though not
overwhelming. The distribution of those employed and unemployed was 28 persons to 18 persons.
Again, the difference is noticeable. When divided into groups, the distributions shift in a major way. It
does seem that there tend to be a higher number of employed persons among the married. The
conclusion suggested by the chi-squared seems to be practically significant.
4.2.2 Employment status vs. level of education
Table 4. 16 Crosstab between level of education and employment status
Employment status
Unemployed Employed Total
Level of High School Count 3 2 5

education
% 16.7% 7.1% 10.9%
College Count 2 7 9
Certificate
% 11.1% 25.0% 19.6%
Bachelor's Count 8 8 16
degree
% 44.4% 28.6% 34.8%
Post-graduate Count 5 11 16
% 27.8% 39.3% 34.8%
Total Count 18 28 46
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = 3.205; degress of freedom = 3; p < .361
This chi-squared analysis examined whether the distribution of education level (high school,
college certificate, bachelor's degree, and post-graduate) was independent from the employment
status (employed vs. unemployed). A total of 46 individuals were part of the analysis. The chi-
squared statistic was not significant, with  2  3.205 , p<.361, indicating that the two variables
were independent. The table provides the percentages of education level by employment status.
Among the unemployed, the largest category is the Bachelor's degree holders, at 44.4%, while
college certificate holders have the lowest percentage, at 11.1%. Among those employed, the post-
graduates make up the highest percentage, at about 39.3%. The lowest percentage category are the
high school graduates, at 7.1%. Although, upon examination, the highest percentage categories differ
among the groups, both groups have low percentages of high school graduates. Thus, the overall
differences do not seem to be large enough for statistical significance. Overall, the highest
percentages of individuals have Bachelor's or post-graduate degrees. Among the college certificate
holders and the post-graduates, the majority are employed. For Bachelor's degree holders, the
number employed and unemployed are evenly distributed. Based on this analysis, the ability of a
person to find employment seems to be unaffected by his or her education level.
4.2.3 Response Scale of Selected Statement Related to Job Opportunity vs. Marital Status
Response
Disagree No opinion Agree Total
.Marital status Ever-married Count 12 4 5 21
% 40.0% 28.6% 50.0% 38.9%
Single Count 18 10 5 33
% 60.0% 71.4% 50.0% 61.1%
Total Count 30 14 10 54
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = 1.162a; degrees of freedom = 2; p < .559
A chi-squared analysis was run on the level of agreement with the statement “Women and
men have equal opportunities in employment” (“disagree”, “no opinion”, and “agree”) by marital status
(ever-married vs. single). The  2 statistic was 1.162, p<.559, which was not significant, indicating
that the two variables may be independent. When examining the distribution of responses across the
combinations of variables, we see that the majority of those surveyed were single (61.1%), while
38.9% were married at some point of their lives. For the overall sample, the majority of those
surveyed disagreed (30 individuals), as opposed to 24, who had no opinion, or agreed. Among those
who disagreed with this statement, 60.0% were single. Among those who had no opinion, a greater
proportion, 71.4%, were single. Finally, among those who agreed with the statement, the individuals
were split evenly into those ever-married and those single. It does seem that among those who
agree, a greater proportion of individuals may have been married at some point of their lives. These
differences, though noticeable, do not make up a statistically significant difference between the
variables. In other words, the difference could have been due to chance. This suggests that people's
opinions on the level of equal opportunities for women in employment does not depend on marital
status.
Table 4. 17 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Women can successfully lead organizations’
Response
.Marital status Ever- Count 4 7 10 21

married
% 26.7% 58.3% 38.5% 39.6%
% 73.3% 41.7% 61.5% 60.4%
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = 2.823a ; degrees of freedom = 2, P < .244
Similarly, responses to the statement “Women can successfully lead organizations” were
examined for dependence with the marital status variable (ever-married vs. single), using the chi-
squared test statistic. A total of 53 people participated in the analysis. The results were not
significant, with  2  2.823 , df=2, and p<.224. The statement variable had 3 levels: “disagree”,
“no opinion”, and “agree”. Overall, the majority of individuals were single, at 60.4%, while 39.6% were
married at some point of their lives. In terms of the statement, the most popular response was
“agree”, numbering at 26 individuals out of the 53 overall, while 15 disagreed, and 12 had no opinion.
Out of those who disagreed, a large majority were single, at 73.3%. Of those who were neutral,
58.3%, a clear majority, were married. Meanwhile, out of those who agreed with the statement,
61.5% were single. Thus, it does seem that the proportion of those married increases among those
who agree or are neutral towards the statement regarding women's ability to lead organizations.
Since the results are not significant, the differences may have been due to chance. Marital status
does not seem to affect people's assessment of women's potential leadership. However, a causal
relationship or its lack cannot be inferred based on the chi-squared test results.
Table 4. 18 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Islam religion has helped in uplifting women’
Response Total
Disagree No opinion Agree
.Marital status Ever- Count 5 1 15 21

married
% 31.3% 16.7% 48.4% 39.6%
% 68.8% 83.3% 51.6% 60.4%
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = 2.786a , Degrees of freedom = 2, P < .248
When the statement “Islam religion has helped in uplifting women” was presented to 53
respondents, 31 subjects agreed, 6 subjects were neutral, while 16 subjects disagreed. The inter-
dependence of this variable with marital status was assessed using the chi-squared statistic. Out of
those sampled, 21 subjects were married at some point of their lives, while 32 people were single.
Since the variables had, respectively, 3 and 2 levels, the degrees of freedom was 2 for this test. The
results were significant, with  2  2.786 , p<.248. This seems to suggest that these variables are
not dependent. Marital status does not seem to affect the level of agreement with the statement
regarding the potential of the Islam religion to uplift women. Upon visual examination of this data, the
highest proportion of those single is found among those who had no opinion, at 83.3%. Among those
who agreed with the statement, nearly half were married. Among those who disagreed, those married
were a minority, at 31.3%. Thus, it seems that more individuals among those married tend to support
this statement. Among those who were married, a majority agreed (15 people). Meanwhile, among
those single, nearly even numbers disagreed or had no opinion, while a similar number agreed.
However, these differences were not sufficiently clear-cut for significance.
Table 4. 19 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Religious leaders do not give women a chance to lead in
the mosques’
Response
Marital status Ever-married Count 7 5 9 21
% 38.9% 35.7% 45.0% 40.4%
% 61.1% 64.3% 55.0% 59.6%

% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = .321a , degrees of freedom = 2, P < .852
This table evaluates whether the variables, response to the statement “Religious leaders do
not give women a chance to lead in the mosques” and marital status, were independent. A total of
52 people were sampled for this test. Since the number of levels of one variable was 2, and of the
other 3, the degrees of freedom was 2 for this test. These variables turn out to be independent, with
 2  .321 and p<.852, since the results are not significant at the .05 level. In other words, the
distribution of marital status, when grouped by response type, is approximately the same in all 3
groups. Among those who disagreed or were neutral, the single individuals make up a majority, at
more than 60%. Among the individuals who agreed, the distribution was a little more even, with
55.0% single. Likewise, among those married, the distribution of the three response types was
nearly even. Among the single individuals, the same pattern appears, with an even closer
distribution of counts. Overall, the distribution of those ever-married ever vs. single was about
59.6% to 40.4%. There were 18, 14, and 20 respondents, respectively, who disagreed, were
neutral, or agreed. The lack of statistical significance makes sense for this combination of variables.
Table 4. 20 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Women are now permitted to drive vehicles’
Response
.Marital Ever-married Count 3 2 16 21

status
%. 25.0% 28.6% 47.1% 39.6%
%. 75.0% 71.4% 52.9% 60.4%
%. 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = 2.216a , degrees of freedom = 2, P < .330
This chi-squared analysis examined whether the distribution of response types to the
statement “Women are now permitted to drive vehicles” (“agree”, “no opinion”, or “disagree”) was
independent of the marital status (ever-married vs. single). A total of 53 individuals were part of the
analysis. The chi-squared statistic was not significant, with   2.216 , p<.330, indicating that the
2
two variables seem to be independent. The table provides the percentages of marital status by
opinion type on the statement. Among those who disagree, the larger percentage of persons are
single, at 75.0%, as opposed to only 25.0% ever-married. Among those of no opinion, the single
individuals again constitute a majority. Among those who agree, the distribution of married vs. single
individuals is approximately the same. Although, upon examination, the distribution of percentages
among the “disagree” and “no opinion” groups differs from that within the “agree” group, the difference
did not turn out to be statistically significant at the .05 level. Overall, the higher percentage of those
surveyed were single, at 60.4%, while 39.6% were married. Among the ever-married individuals, an
overwhelming majority support the statement. Among those single, also far more than half agree.
Nevertheless, the two variables do not appear to be inter-dependent in a significant way.
Table 4. 21 Crosstab of marital status on ‘Women’s education is key to ensuring development in the
society
Response
.Marital Ever-married Count 6 0 15 21

status?
% 54.5% 0.0% 41.7% 40.4%
% 45.5% 100.0% 58.3% 59.6%
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = 4.328a, Degrees of freedom = 2, P < .115
A chi-squared analysis was run on the level of agreement with the statement “Women’s
education is key to ensuring development in the society” (“disagree”, “no opinion,” or “agree”) by
marital status (ever-married vs. single). The  2 statistic was 4.328, p<.115 which was not
significant, indicating that the two variables may be independent. When examining the distribution of
responses across the combinations of variables, we see that the majority of those surveyed were
single (59.6%), while 40.4% were married at some point of their lives. For the overall sample, the
majority of those surveyed agreed (36 individuals), as opposed to 5, who had no opinion, and 11, who
disagreed. Among those who disagreed with this statement, a little more than half were married
(54.5%). Among those who had no opinion, all (100%) were single. Finally, among those who
agreed with the statement, only 41.7% were married, while 58.3% were single. It does seem that
among those who agreed, a greater proportion of individuals was single, whereas among those who
disagreed, a slightly higher proportion was married. These differences, though noticeable, do not
make up a statistically significant difference between the variables. In other words, these variations
could have appeared due to chance. This suggests that people's opinion on the role of education for
women in ensuring development in society does not depend on whether a person has been married.
Table 4. 22 Crosstab of marital status on ‘The new Vision 2030 does not have greater impact as far
as women empowerment in Saudi Arabia is concerned’
Response
.Marital Ever- Count 11 5 5 21

status married
% 47.8% 33.3% 35.7% 40.4%
% 52.2% 66.7% 64.3% 59.6%
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = .966; degrees of freedom = 2; p < .617
Similarly, responses to the statement “The new Vision 2030 does not have greater impact as
far as women empowerment in Saudi Arabia is concerned” were examined for dependence with the
marital status variable (ever-married vs. single), using the chi-squared test statistic. A total of 52
individuals participated in the analysis. The results were not statistically significant, with   .966 ,
2
df=2, and p<.617, at the .05 level. The statement variable had 3 levels: “disagree”, “no opinion”, and
“agree”. Overall, the majority of individuals were single, at 59.6%, while 40.4% were married at some
point. In terms of the statement, the most popular response was “disagree”, numbering 23 individuals
out of the 52 overall, while 14 agreed, and 15 had no opinion. Out of those who disagreed, the
distribution of those who were married vs. single was about even. Of those who were neutral, 66.7%,
a clear majority, were single. Similarly, out of those who agreed with the statement, 64.3% were
single. Thus, it does seem that the proportion of those married increases among those who agreed or
were neutral towards the statement that the Vision 2030 did not have a greater impact as far as
women empowerment in Saudi Arabia. Since the results were not significant, the variables seem to
be independent. The observed difference was not statistically significant.
4.2.4 Response Scale of Selected Statement Related to Job Opportunity vs. Level of Education
Table 4. 23 Crosstab of level of education on’ Women and men have equal opportunities in
Employment’
Response
Level of High School Count 7 2 0 9

education
% 23.3% 14.3% 0.0% 16.7%
College Certificate Count 3 6 1 10
% 10.0% 42.9% 10.0% 18.5%
Bachelor's degree Count 10 4 5 19
% 33.3% 28.6% 50.0% 35.2%
Post-graduate Count 10 2 4 16
% 33.3% 14.3% 40.0% 29.6%
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square 11.001a 6 .088

When the statement “Women and men have equal opportunities in employment” was
presented to 54 respondents, 10 subjects agreed, 14 subjects were neutral, while 30 disagreed. The
inter-dependence of this variable with level of education was assessed using the chi-squared statistic.
Out of those sampled, 9 subjects were high school graduates, 10 persons had college certificates,
and 19 subjects were Bachelor's degree holders, while 16 people were post-graduates. Since the
variables had, respectively, 3 and 4 levels, the degrees of freedom was 6 for this test. The results
were not significant, with   11.001 , p<.088 at the .05 level.

2
This seems to suggest that these
variables are independent. Thus, the level of education does not seem to affect the level of
agreement with the statement regarding equal employment opportunities for men and women. Upon
visual examination of this data, among those who agreed with the statement, the highest proportion
were Bachelor's degree holders (50.0%), while another 40.0% were post-graduates. Among those
who disagreed, 33.3% belonged to each of these respective groups. Thus, the distributions of
educational level seem to be roughly similar among those who agreed and disagreed with the
statement. The differences in percentages were not sufficient to be statistically significant at the .05
level, though they would be considered significant at the a=.10 level.
Table 4. 24 Crosstab of level of education on ‘Women can successfully lead organizations ‘
Response

education
% 23.3% 14.3% 0.0% 16.7%
% 10.0% 42.9% 10.0% 18.5%
% 33.3% 28.6% 50.0% 35.2%
% 33.3% 14.3% 40.0% 29.6%
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0 100.0%

%
Pearson Chi-Square = 10.667 , Df = 6, P=.088
Similarly, responses to the statement “Women can successfully lead organizations” were
examined for dependence with the level of education variable (high school, college certificate,
Bachelor's degree, and post-graduate), using the chi-squared test statistic. A total of 53 people
participated in the analysis. The results were not significant, with  2  10.667 , df=6, and p<.099.
The statement variable had 3 levels: “disagree”, “no opinion”, and “agree”. Overall, the highest
percentage of those sampled was constituted by post-graduates, at 35.8%. In terms of the statement,
the most popular response was “agree”, numbering 26 individuals out of the 53 overall, while 15
disagreed, and 12 had no opinion. Out of those who disagreed, the most were high school graduates
at 40.0%. Of those who were neutral, 50%, had Bachelor's degrees. Meanwhile, out of those who
agreed with the statement, 38.5% had Bachelor's degrees and the same percentage were post-
graduates. In general, it does seem that larger percentages of those who agreed had a higher
education, while among those who disagreed, a dis-proportionally large percentage were high school
graduates. However, these differences were not sufficient for statistical significance at the .05 level,
while they are in fact significant at the .10 level. Possibly, a variation on this question needs to be
tested on a larger sample.
Table 4. 25 Crosstab of level of education on ‘Islam religion has helped in uplifting women’
Response
Level High School Count 4 1 4 9

of
% 25.0% 16.7% 12.9% 17.0%
educati
on College Count 1 2 6 9
Certificate
% 6.3% 33.3% 19.4% 17.0%
Bachelor's Count 6 2 11 19
degree
% 37.5% 33.3% 35.5% 35.8%
% 31.3% 16.7% 32.3% 30.2%
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = 3.480; ; Degrees of freedom = 6; P < .747
When the statement “Islam religion has helped in uplifting women” was presented to 53
respondents, 31 subjects agreed, 6 subjects were neutral, while 16 disagreed. The inter-dependence
of this variable with the level of education was assessed using the chi-squared statistic. Out of those
sampled, 9 subjects were high school graduates, 9 had college certificates, while 19 were college
graduates and 16 were post-graduates. Since the variables had, respectively, 3 and 4 levels, the
degrees of freedom was 6 for this test. The results were not significant, with  2  3.480 , p<.747.
This seems to suggest that these variables are independent. The level of education does not seem to
affect the level of agreement with the statement regarding the potential of the Islam religion to uplift
women. Upon visual examination of this data, the highest proportion of Bachelor's degree holders is
found among those who disagreed, at 37.5%. Similar proportions are observed among other groups.
The smallest percentage of post-graduates was found among those who had no opinion. Thus,
people with the higher degrees seem to disagree with the statement more. However, among
Bachelor's degree holders a total of 11 agree, while only 6 people disagree, and 2 have no opinion.
Table 4. 26 Crosstab of level of education on ‘Religious leaders do not give women a chance to lead
in the mosques’
Response

education
% 16.7% 21.4% 10.0% 15.4%
College Count 4 4 1 9
Certificate
% 22.2% 28.6% 5.0% 17.3%
degree
% 33.3% 28.6% 45.0% 36.5%
% 27.8% 21.4% 40.0% 30.8%
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square= 5.445, Df= ,6, P=.488
This table evaluates whether the variables, response to the statement “Religious leaders do
not give women a chance to lead in the mosques” and level of education, were independent. A total
of 52 people were sampled for this test. Since the number of levels of one variable was 3, and of the
other 4, the degrees of freedom was 6 for this test. These variables turn out to to be independent,
with  2  5.445 and p<.488, since the results are not significant at the .05 level. In other words,
the distribution of the level of education, when grouped by response type, is approximately the
same. Among those who disagreed or were neutral, the distribution of levels of education is fairly
even, between 20% and 35%, with high school graduates holding lightly smaller percentages than
the other levels. Among the individuals who agreed, those with a higher education predominate,
with 45.0% with Bachelor's degrees, and 40.0% post-graduates. While it does seem that individuals
with a higher education tend to agree with the statement more than other groups, this does not
amount to a statistically significant dependence between the variables. The variation is simply not
large enough, or the sample too small, for the difference in distributions to be detectable.
Table 4. 27 Crosstab level of education on ‘Women are now permitted to drive vehicles.’
Response

education
%. 33.3% 28.6% 8.8% 17.0%
College Count 3 1 5 9
Certificate
%. 25.0% 14.3% 14.7% 17.0%
degree
%. 16.7% 42.9% 41.2% 35.8%
%. 25.0% 14.3% 35.3% 30.2%
%. 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = 6.948; Degrees of freedom = 6; P < .326
This chi-squared analysis examined whether the distribution of response types to the
statement “Women are now permitted to drive vehicles” (“agree”, “no opinion”, or “disagree”) was
independent of the level of education (high school, college certificate, Bachelor's degree, and post-
graduate). A total of 53 individuals were part of the analysis. The chi-squared statistic was not
significant, with  2  6.948 , p<.326, indicating that the two variables seem to be independent.
The table provides the percentages of level of education by opinion type on the statement. Among
those who disagree, the larger percentage of persons have high school diplomas, at 33.3%, as
opposed to only 16.7% college graduates. Among those of no opinion, Bachelor's degree holders
constitute 42.9%. Among those who agree, both Bachelor's degree holders and post-graduates hold
fairly high percentages. Although, upon examination, the distribution of percentages among the
“disagree” group differs from that within the “no opinion” and “agree” groups, the differences did not
turn out to be statistically significant at the .05 level. A larger sample may be needed to display
significant differences. Overall, the higher percentage of those surveyed were Bachelor's degree
holders, at 38.5%. A large majority of respondents agreed with the statement overall, numbering at
34 out of 53 people.
Table 4. 28 Crosstab of level of education on ‘Women’s education is key to ensuring development in

the society’
Response
vel of High School Count 3 2 3

ucation
% 27.3% 40.0% 8.3% 15.4
College Count 0 2 7
Certificate
% 0.0% 40.0% 19.4% 17.3
Bachelor's Count 5 1 13
degree
% 45.5% 20.0% 36.1% 36.5
Post-graduate Count 3 0 13
% 27.3% 0.0% 36.1% 30.8
otal Count 11 5 36
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0
Pearson Chi-Square = 10.161; degrees of freedom = 6 ; p < .118
This chi-squared analysis examines whether the response type to the statement “Women’s
education is key to ensuring development in the society” was independent from the level of education
(high school, college certificate, Bachelor's degree, and post-graduate). A total of 52 individuals were
part of the analysis. The chi-squared statistic was not significant, with  2  10.161 , p<.118,
indicating that the two variables seem to be independent. The table provides the percentages of
education level by response type. Among those who disagreed, the largest category were holders of
Bachelor's degrees, at 45.5%. Among those neutral, the majority were either high school graduates,
or held college certificates. Among those who agreed, the highest percentage of post-graduates was
found, at 36.1%. The same percentage held Bachelor's degrees. Thus, it does seem that individuals
who agree with the statement seem to be predominantly higher-educational institution graduates,
which is not true of the two other response groups. While the p-value approaches significance at the
.10 level, it is not significant at the .05 level. Thus, a larger sample may be needed to obtain more
accurate results. According to this analysis, the level of support for women's education does not
seem to depend on the level of education of the respondent.
Table 4. 29 Crosstab of level of education on ‘The new Vision 2030 does not have greater impact as
far as women empowerment in Saudi Arabia is concerned’
Response

education
% 21.7% 6.7% 14.3% 15.4%
% 13.0% 26.7% 14.3% 17.3%
% 21.7% 40.0% 57.1% 36.5%
% 43.5% 26.7% 14.3% 30.8%
% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Pearson Chi-Square = 8.011; Degrees of freedom = 6; P < .237
Similarly, responses to the statement “The new Vision 2030 does not have greater impact as
far as women empowerment in Saudi Arabia is concerned” were examined for dependence with the
level of education variable (high school, college certificate, Bachelor's degree, and post-graduate),
using the chi-squared test statistic. A total of 52 individuals participated in the analysis. The results
were not statistically significant, with   8.011 , df=6, and p<.237, at the .05 level.
2
The statement
variable had 3 levels: “disagree”, “no opinion”, and “agree”. Overall, the highest percentage of
individuals held Bachelor's degrees, followed by the post-graduates. In terms of the statement, the
most popular response was “disagree”, numbering 23 individuals out of the 52 overall, while 14
agreed, and 15 had no opinion. Out of those who disagreed, the post-graduates held the highest
percentage, at 43.5%. Of those who were neutral, Bachelor's degree holders had the highest
percentage. Similarly, out of those who agreed with the statement, the majority held Bachelor's
degrees. Thus, it does seem that differences exist in the educational level of those who agreed,
disagreed, or were neutral towards the statement that the Vision 2030 did not have a greater impact.
However, these differences are not systematic. Since the results were not significant, the variables
seem to be independent. The observed difference was not statistically significant.
4.3 Logistic Regression
4.3.1 Binary logistic regression of employment status

Table 4. 30 Binary Logistic regression of employment status on selected variables
Variable B S.E. Wald df Sig. Exp(B)
Age .123 .081 2.315 1 .128 1.130
t level of education -.227 .456 .247 1 .619 .797
Marital status -1.053 .865 1.482 1 .223 .349
Women are more qualified .356 .221 2.588 1 .108 1.427

than men in terms of labor
skills requirements.
Constant -2.929 2.378 1.517 1 .218 .053
Dependent variable : Employment status (employed =1, and unemployed = 0)
-2 Log likelihood = 48.046; Cox & Snell R Square = .230; Nagelkerke R Square = .310; ; Chi-
square = 11.488, df = 4, p =.022
A logistic regression was run, in order to examine the effect of some of the above variables on
employment status. The variables included in the regression were age, the level of education, marital
status, and the statement “Women are more qualified than men in terms of labor skills requirements.”
The Cox & Snell R-Square was .230, and Nagelkerke R-Square was .310, indicating a less than
average fit for the regression model. In other words, less than 50% of variation in the employment
status variable is explained by the regression. The chi-square was 11.488, with a p-value of .022,
significant at the .05 level. Still, none of the regression coefficients were significant either at the .05
or .10 levels. The response to the statement “Women are more qualified than men in terms of labor
skills requirements” was close to significance, with a p-value of .108. The Exp(B) values for the
regression variables of age, level of education, marital status, and statement response, were,
respectively, 1.130, .797, .387, 1.427. The coefficient of the constant term was .053. Thus, the
regression can be refined by dropping the extraneous variables, and including additional variables, in
order to raise the R-squared and the overall significance of the regression.
4.3.2 Ordinal Logistic Regression
Table 4. 31 Ordinal regression of Women and men have equal opportunities in employment on
selected variables
95% Confidence
Interval
Estimat Std. Lower Upper

e Error Wald df Sig. Bound Bound
Intercept Strongly agree (1] -5.439 1.742 9.752 1 .002 -8.852 -2.025
s
[Agree ( 2] -3.932 1.614 5.930 1 .015 -7.096 -.767
Partly agree ( 3] -3.537 1.597 4.907 1 .027 -6.666 -.407
No opinion ( 4] -2.252 1.550 2.112 1 .146 -5.290 .785
Partly disagree ( 5] -1.631 1.536 1.127 1 .288 -4.642 1.380
Disagree (6] -.812 1.531 .282 1 .596 -3.812 2.188
Variable Age -.083 .053 2.435 1 .119 -.188 .021

s
Marital Status -.540 .651 .687 1 .407 -1.816 .737
Education level .177 .293 .365 1 .546 -.397 .751
Link function: Logit.
-2 Log Likelihood = 176.634; ; Chi-Square = 2.860; P < .414 ; Pseudo-R Square = .052
An ordinal regression was run in order to examine the effect of such variables as age, marital
status, education level, and an opinion variable (with 4 response options), on the statement “Women
and men have equal opportunities in employment.” The pseudo R-square was very low, at .052,
indicating an extremely weak model fit. Only 5.2% of variation in the dependent variable was
explained by the ordinal regression model. The coefficient of the Age variable approached
significance at the .10 level, with a p-value of .119. The “agree” and “partly agree” responses were
also significant (at the .05 level). The remaining variables were still not significant in this ordinal
regression. Similarly to the previous model, this regression indicated an insufficient fit. It may be
useful to complement this regression with other predictor variables, while also eliminating the
variables that were clearly not significant. For example, a higher number of demographic variables
such as gender can be included. The value of the regression Chi-square statistic was 2.860, with
p<.414, which was also not significant at the .05 level. The table provides the regression coefficients,
their standard errors, and the confidence intervals. However, these statistics will not be useful until
we obtain a sufficiently strong fit.
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary of the Findings:

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ABSTRACT

To my father and my mother who encouraged me to reach my goal.

CEDAW - Convention of Eliminating Discrimination against Women.

TEVT – Technical Education & Vocational Training

UNIDO – United Nations Industrial Development Organization

GAStat – General Authority for Statistics

1.0 Background Information

difficulties that come with it.

from home vicinity.

to jobs like engineering.

women participation in business.

1.1 Statement of the Problem

Arabian women, researchers, Non-Governmental Organizations, academia and non-Muslims the

them being religion, social, policy, and ideological factors.

1.2 The Purpose of the Study

1.3 Research Objectives

The Objectives of the study included:

 To investigate the influence of social factors on women empowerment in Saudi Arabia.

 To determine how religious factors influenced women empowerment in Saudi Arabia.

 To examine the influence of policy factors on women empowerment in Saudi Arabia.

 To explore the influence of ideological factors on women empowerment in Saudi Arabia.

1.4 Research Questions

This thesis was guided by the following questions:

 How do religious aspects influence women empowerment in Saudi Arabia?

 To what extent do policy aspects influence women empowerment in Saudi Arabia?

 Which Ideological factors influence women empowerment in Saudi Arabia?

1.5 The Significance of the Study

1.6 Limitations of the Study

sources of funds and time out of the busy schedule.

1.7 The Scope of the Study

individuals with higher education academic qualifications and above.

1.8 Assumptions of the Study

This research was underlined by the following assumptions:

 That all the respondents gave accurate and honest information.

 That all potential participants consented to be included in the study

mind when handling the topic.

2.0 Operational Definition of Terms

Factors: These are issues that influence the decision-making process.

Influencing: The ability to have the power to change a course of action.

of a community that influence women empowerment.

beliefs that affect women empowerment.

with the administrative operations that may impact on women empowerment.

affiliations that affect women empowerment.

3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

research instruments, validity and reliability of instruments, the trustworthiness of qualitative

was used to analyze the data.

3.2 Source of Data

3.3 Place of Survey

3.5 Sample Design

the population (Bryman, 2008).

3.6 Sample Size

which were considered.

3.7 Research Instruments

According to Orodho (2004), a questionnaire comprises of a written set of questions to be

completed by individual respondents. It is always accompanied by general information of what is

and cost-effectiveness of construction and administration. The questionnaire is a powerful scientific

An interview is a two-person conversation initiated by the interviewer for specifically obtaining

research relevant information focused on content specified by research objectives of systematic

3.8 Data Analysis

Data analysis was both quantitative and qualitative.

3.8.1 Quantitative Data Analysis

distribution and percentages.

were used to analyze the quantitative data.