Minister of Labor and Social Development Muferrej Al-Haqabani stressed that the ministry is exerting efforts to provide services that meets the aspirations of persons with disabilities. Al-Haqabani made these comments during the workshop titled ‘The National Strategy for Persons with Disabilities' in Riyadh, and stressed the importance of developing a national program that achieves the objectives of PWD. Al-Haqabani said that the merging of Ministries of Labor and Social Affairs would support integrated action and go hand in hand with the strategic vision and the Kingdom's Vision 2030 that serves the interests of PWD. The new plan ensures the participation of all members of society in the economic development march and empowers PWS to have access to training programs and take up work, with the aim of making them productive individuals who contribute to the country, he added. In harmony with PWS objectives, Al-Haqabani hoped that the inclusive strategy would not only include efforts by the ministry but other government entities, combining them into one concerted action that follows key performance indicators and certain targets set by officials. Al-Haqabani also mentioned the enforcement of regulations that are in a bid to facilitate the Saudization process in the private sector and maintain a disability-friendly workplace. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Social Care Dr. Abdullah Al-Moaiqel said that the workshop aimed at discussing the strategy and its vision towards the integration of PWS. The initial session titled ‘ Major Challenges Faced by PWS' targeted inclusion of the society, mobility and accessibility, assistive technologies, rehabilitative services, economic stability, PWD training programs and health care, Al-Moaiqel explained. Al-Moaiqel shed light on the second session that deal with defining priorities & primary services that enhance the current situation of PWS, as well as laying out mechanisms that draw up the national strategy for supporting the PWS rights. Saudi Vision 2030 gives attention to women work: MLSD vice minister In an another forum, Vice Minister of Labor and Social Development Ahmed Bin Saleh Al-Humaidan said that the Kingdom's Vision 2030 gives a significant emphasis to Saudi woman and her role in the social and economic development. Al-Humaidan said that women are capable of achieving success and excellence through a range of available opportunities that prove their aptitude while pulling off value-added accomplishments with their participation in the labor market. Speaking at the opening of Success Stories Forum for Women Work held at RCCI headquarters, Al-Humaidan said the forum explored a number of successful stories in workplace shared by female workers. Al-Humaidan highlighted a string of challenges faced by the empowerment of women in the labor market along with creating a suitable work environment, stressing on the ministry's efforts to overcome such obstacles and reduce the unemployment rate among Saudi women. He reaffirmed that the ministry has exerted unswerving efforts to provide employment for both genders as well as studied the causes of joblessness to initiate initiatives and solutions. Meanwhile, Abdul Munim Al-Shehri, assistant deputy minister for special programs at the ministry, submitted a working paper titled ‘Empower Women Work' focusing on the conditions and regulations of women work. Al-Shehri addressed the importance of women's engagement in work and the leadership's concern to widen the scopes of women work as part of the priorities of department pertaining to the feminization of work. Al-Shehri reiterated that the ministry's strategic vision comprises several initiatives of qualitative nature that increase the participation of women in the economic development alongside the labor market. Along with the forum's agenda, Al-Shehri said that the ministry is working on the development and supporting of female cadres in order to meet the requirements of employers. It ensures enabling female job seekers to take up productive and sustainable jobs while the presence of proper working environment maintains their privacy and rights to work through a raft of regulations and mechanisms, he explained. He said that the ministry will unveil new plans to support women employment through a wide range of interventions, such as developing feminization of sectors, part-time work, baby care centers, transportation and feminization of indoor shopping malls. Al-Shehri elaborated that such projects get support from the ministry's affiliates including the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI), in collaboration with other government entities and other related bodies like service providers.
