Radii, a Saudi woman, is paving the way for women to work in local pharmacies. She has opened the first pharmacy in the Kingdom to be solely staffed by women. Al-Radii is a pharmacist who graduated from the International Academy for Health Sciences in Makkah with the purpose to offer employment opportunities in this field to Saudi women who have the skill and desire but have been denied the opportunity due to the inconducive atmosphere. An entrepreneur and women's rights advocate, Al-Radii said, “While still studying at the academy, I drew up a strong conviction to open a pharmacy for women that would be managed and run by women. After graduation rather than waiting for employment, I got started on making plans to achieve my goal.” What drew Shaikha to the field of pharmacy as a career was the example of her mother who is also a pharmacist. “Actually it had been my mother's dream for as far back as I can remember to open a pharmacy where she could work in a more relaxed environment, where only other women worked,” said Al-Radii. “My mother felt that close contact with men was uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing for both female pharmacists and patients. Most female patients would prefer asking another woman about personal concerns regarding the medications needed for a certain condition. Due to work and family responsibilities, my mother never had the time or chance to accomplish this, so I decided to take on her dream and turn it into a reality.” As for the obstacles she faced, Al-Radii said that they were many, overpowering, and almost impossible to overcome. “Among the requirements needed to obtain a license to open a pharmacy in the Kingdom included choosing a location on a main street, holding a Bachelor's degree, and the most frustrating was that only a man could open a pharmacy and not a woman. The seemingly impossible conditions in addition to the enormous amount of money needed in capital almost thwarted my plans but my husband's moral, financial, and logistical support kept me going. He gave me the initial SR400,000 to open and supply the pharmacy,” said Al-Radii. Although Shaikha has worked tirelessly to meet all the requirements by the various misnitries, she is still unable to open a full-fledged medical pharmacy and has only realized half of her dream. Shaikha was compelled to limit the products at the pharmacy to skin care, hair care, and beauty products for women, and over the counter medications that do not require a prescription. Shaikha's pharmacy ‘Judy' offers employment opportunities for Saudi female pharmacists and university graduates. Shaikha is still pursuing her dream to open a full-fledged medical pharmacy in the near future with additional branches all over the Kingdom. She has found the women she has been working with to be professional, educated, self-disciplined, and committed.
