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Princess rejects 'misperceptions' of Saudi women

Posted on: Thursday, 28 July 2005, 16:55 CDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The sister of Saudi Arabia's new ambassador to the United States on Thursday hailed advances for women in her country, rejecting what she called misperceptions that females are "downtrodden slaves to men."

Princess Loulwa al-Faisal, a member of the royal family whose brother is Prince Turki al-Faisal, the new ambassador, sought to counter persistent negative post-Sept 11, 2001 American sentiments about the kingdom.

Saudi women, though veiled, are making great strides in education and business, she told the Middle East Institute thinktank, adding: "We are always perceived as downtrodden slaves to men which we are not at all."

She spoke days after Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg issued a critical report on Saudi Arabia and called for the creation of a Republican-Democratic commission to redefine U.S. relations with the world's largest oil-production nation.

The report, entitled "In Whose Best Interest?" set out what Lautenberg, of New Jersey, called the "top ten reasons to change the U.S.-Saudi relationship."

"The bottom line is that the United States needs to change our relationship with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is allowed to operate under a double-standard and it needs to stop," he said in a statement.

Bound for half a century by common interest in the desert kingdom's vast oil reserves, the United States and Saudi Arabia weathered ups and downs but the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, mostly by Saudi-born extremists, has posed unique challenges.

Last week's appointment of Prince Turki, former chief of the Saudi foreign intelligence service, as envoy to Washington has been welcomed by U.S. experts who felt outgoing envoy Prince Bandar bin Sultan had been too much absent from the U.S. capital, allowing the relationship to drift.

As ambassador, Bandar was a key inside player in U.S.-Saudi relations for more than two decades but analysts said his successor may better suit today's troubled ties, bringing new energy and willingness to engage America.

Former U.S. Ambassador Edward Walker, Middle East Institute president, said Loulwa -- vice chairman of the board and general superviser of Saudi's Effat College for women -- played a "leading part in redefining the role of women in Saudi Arabia."

Loulwa said Saudi tradition supported a strong role for women because in the kingdom's nomadic early days women managed the homefront while the men were out trading and fighting.

She predicted Saudi women would continue to be veiled. But prohibitions on voting would fall once more women applied for national identification cards, while driving would come once women in urban areas decided they wanted to drive, she said.

Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said there were many stereotypes on both sides of the U.S.-Saudi divide and both governments were trying to demonstrate their country's diversity, including with visits like that of Princess Loulwa.

Source: REUTERS

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