Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Justice Ministry, without being specific, has blamed other government departments for the delay in implementing its decision to employ women. The ministry announced last year that it had job openings for women and was intent on employing them. “We will start receiving job applications from women within the next two months. We have between 350 and 400 vacancies for them,” the minister's adviser for social programs Nasser Al-Oud said in statements published on Wednesday. He explained that though the ministry had opened the door for women employment last year, its efforts in this respect were impeded by other government departments. He did not identify these departments but said they were responsible for the ministry not employing women until now. The adviser said the ministry had created a number of jobs for women last year and added new openings this year but due to the financial and administrative procedures at other government departments, it was not able to open the door for receiving applications yet. “However, the ministry will do this within the next two months.” He explained that the vacancies for women include secretarial jobs, computer operators and analysts in social services, psychology, law and Shariah. “Applications can be made electronically. After that certificates will be verified and the applicants will be called for personal interviews,” he said. Al-Oud said the female sections in the ministry will be completely under women's supervision. “These sections will be established in cities and towns that have personal affairs courts, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, Dammam and Abha,” he said. Al-Oud said the female staff will follow up the cases of divorce, custody and alimony. They will also provide women coming to courts with social, legal and psychological counseling, he added. Al-Oud said the initial station for the women practicing law will be the personal affairs courts and they will eventually move to general criminal courts. “Women may further develop to take over the jobs of notary public,” he said.
