Power company rejects female student's internship application Afnan Linjawi Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — A female engineering student plans to sue the Ministry of Labor (MOL) for sexual discrimination. Sara Alharthy, an engineering student at Effat University, says her internship application to the Saudi Electric Company was refused because she is a woman. “There is no written law or religious verdict that states females are not allowed to work as engineers.” Alharthy has applied to a number of companies hoping to do more than simple office work or theoretical research. She has completed her internship in Schneider Electric Company in Riyadh. “When I started my internship they had me sit in the female section of the company and engage in online self-training curricula. This did not fulfill my requirements as an engineer as I must lead projects, solve critical problems, and work in the field.” After negotiations with the Human Resources Department of the company, Alharthy was able to change her status from a passive intern in the company to having the right to see the plans of the company twice a week and being trained by professional engineers thrice a week. Many companies are afraid of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, said Dr. Mohamed Shehata, the chair of the electrical engineering department at Effat University.
The Ministry of Labor should apply regulations allowing female engineers to work in the field. They should also encourage all companies to open a female sector in the engineering departments. “We are obliged to sit with the companies and explain the validity and credibility of our students. Although we have successful agreements with companies such as Zahid Group, still many companies feel apprehensive about allowing female engineers in their workplace.” The situation is even more complicated with non-Saudi female students. “If the company agreed to take a female intern, they usually make it a condition for her to be Saudi. Because I'm not Saudi, I had to send my application to companies outside Saudi Arabia,” said Israa Al-Qassas, a Palestinian engineering student at Effat University. King Abdulaziz University will be graduating their first group of female engineers in the near future. “The lack of work opportunities for females in electrical engineering fields such as power supply is the reason why we are not planning to open electrical engineering as a major in our department anytime,” said Sabah Linjawi, the engineering department supervisor for the female section in the university.
