SDG 5: GENDER EQUALITY

5.6.1 Does your university as a body have a policy of non-discrimination against women?

Policy of non-discrimination against women

The principle of equality, which is essentially in contrast to discrimination, including discrimination against women, which is set out in Article (8) of the Basic Law of Governance, stipulating: “The system of government in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is established on the foundation of justice, Shura (consultation) and equality in compliance with Islamic Shariah” and which is implicitly contained in Article (26) of the same Law which stipulates: “The State shall protect human rights in accordance with Islamic Shariah” in addition to other principles and provisions of the Basic Law of Governance and the Kingdom’s laws derived from it – is consistent with the relevant international standards. These provisions criminalize discrimination and violence against women and are implemented by institutions established or supported for the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights, including women’s rights, such as the Human Rights Commission, the National Society for Human Rights and other institutions, as well as the existing government agencies [1].

It should be noted that absolute equality between men and women is observed in most areas of human rights such as the right to work, education, health, economic rights and others.

Regarding equality between men and women and the fight against discrimination in employment, the Labor Law does not differentiate between men and women in rights and duties, nor does it draw any distinction in equal pay for work of equal value and quality. The Kingdom is a party to the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 100 concerning Equal Remuneration for Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value and Convention No. 111 concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation. The Ministerial Decision no. 2370/1, dated 18/8/1431H, corresponding to 28/08/2010, was issued to prohibit any discrimination in wages between male and female workers for work of equal value. There is full equality between men and women as regards the jobseeker’s allowance, where women receive the same amount as men, as well as in the training and employment assistance provided by the Human Resources Development Fund to men and women employed in the private sector, both in terms of the amount of subsidy for training costs, wages or duration of assistance. The Labor Law has taken into account the nature of women and has assigned a full section to them (Part 9), which includes additional provisions relating to women’s employment in the private sector so as to provide further protection to them [1].

The Labor Law was amended by Royal Decree No. (M/134), dated 27/11/1440H, to ensure equality between men and women in rights and duties, and in-service conditions. Article (3) of the Labor Law states that work is the right of every citizen and that people must not be discriminated against on the basis of sex, as well as equality in the retirement age between men and women (60 years). The amendments also entailed prohibiting the dismissal or dismissal with a notice of a female worker during her pregnancy, maternity leave or during illness resulting from either pregnancy or delivery. Likewise, the Social Insurance Law has been amended, particularly Article (38), in order to achieve equality between men and women in terms of the retirement age, which has become (60) years for both sexes.

AlMaarefa University Equality and Diversity Policy

AlMaarefa University is committed to promoting equality and providing an environment where all members of its community are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to seeking to employ a workforce and educate a student body that reflects the diverse community we serve. The Equality Act (2010) helps by providing a legal framework to protect people from discrimination, harassment, and victimization in the workplace and wider society [1].

As a Higher Education Institution, we have specific equality duties that also require us to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. It is also our responsibility to publish equality information (data) on an annual basis and review and publish specific and measurable equality objectives every four years [1].

UM are committed to providing equality of opportunity and will work to ensure that all of our staff, students, and visitors, as well as those that seek to apply to work or study with us are treated fairly and are not subjected to unlawful discrimination by the University on the basis of (their protected characteristic):

• Age
• Disability
• Gender Identity
• Marriage or civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race (includes: race, color, nationality (including citizenship), ethnic or national origins)
• Religion or belief including philosophical belief and a lack of belief.
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

Scope

The policy is applicable to all staff (which includes for the purposes of this policy and for ease of reference, consultants, contractors, volunteers, casual workers, and agency workers), students, and applicants to work or study at the University. The principles of non-discrimination and equality of opportunity also apply to the way in which staff and students should treat each other, visitors, contractors, service providers, suppliers, and any other persons associated with the functions of the University [1].

Aims of the Policy

The University’s aim is to promote equality of opportunity for all, through the following objectives:

• Assessing the impact on equality in our policies, procedures, and practices.
• Having an effective data monitoring and analysis process.
• Involving staff, students, and other stakeholders in the development and delivery of our equality objectives.
• Promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion through internal and external communications.
• Ensuring that managers and staff take part in equality training and those who have responsibility for recruitment and selection.
• Ensuring staff and university student support services are, as far as reasonably possible, accessible to all.
• Ensuring that both existing staff and students, as well as those who seek to apply to work and study with us, are treated fairly and are judged solely on merit and by reference to their skills and abilities.
• Ensuring that staff, students, and their representatives are provided with appropriate forums to discuss equality, diversity, and inclusion issues and raise any concerns.
• Ensuring that all contractors and service providers operating on behalf of the University are aware of this policy and are expected to adhere to it.
• Complying with its legal obligations.

Sanctions

A failure to comply with the principles set out in this policy may be considered to be a disciplinary offense and will be addressed through the relevant procedures [1].

Complaints

Any cases of discrimination, harassment, bullying, or victimization will be taken very seriously by the University. Any member of staff or student found guilty of unlawful discrimination or harassment will be subject to disciplinary action. Appropriate action will be taken where possible if any member of the public, visitor, or service provider is involved in discrimination or harassment. Staff, students, or other parties who make a complaint of discrimination have the right to do so without fear of victimization, and the University will make every effort to ensure that any complaints are dealt with promptly and fairly [1].

Female students in Women’s Heart Health Awareness Day

AlMaarefa female students actively participated in the Women’s Heart Health Awareness Day at King Fahad Medical City, demonstrating the University’s role in facilitating female student engagement in health outreach and community events.

The Colleges of Knowledge, represented by the female section, participated in the activities of the Women’s Heart Health Awareness Day for the students of the Health Education Club, which was held in King Fahad Medical City in Riyadh on Monday, 2/8/2016 AD [2].

A special corner was prepared for the colleges of knowledge, containing a group of gifts and brochures. Some fruits that are beneficial to the heart and contain antioxidants, such as grapes, strawberries, and raspberries, were also presented, in addition to health education and advice.

It is worth noting that knowledge colleges seek to participate in extracurricular awareness-raising and educational social activities and events, which are supervised by the colleges’ Student Activities Department.

External validation

The profile in Times Higher Education describes AlMaarefa's academic offerings and confirms its institutional positioning; external profiles help to verify that the institution develops programs with female participation [3].

Women’s high status Saudi Arabia

On International Women’s Day the University published and promoted alumni and student achievements (posts and news), highlighting institutional visibility given to women’s contributions [4].

Employment Policies for Faculty and Staff

Human resources management at Al-Maarifa University is considered the backbone for achieving the university's strategic goals through providing, developing and managing human talent. With responsibilities extending from aligning human resources policies and processes with the needs and goals of the university, to developing a fair and rewarding system of incentives and benefits to enhance loyalty and belonging among employees. The administration is committed to attracting and maintaining distinguished talents, and supervises the implementation of administrative work plans and development and improvement programmes. By engaging in business automation and implementing HRMS, management improves administrative efficiency and facilitates employee training and development processes. Preparing and evaluating job analysis for all jobs ensures that employee performance is consistent with the university’s goals, while employee performance is evaluated periodically to ensure continuous development [5].

Participation of AlMaarefa University Female Leaders in the Coursera Women’s Leadership East Summit

Dr.. Sarah Al-Bukhari and Dr. Sarah Al Marzouqi, representatives of Almaarefa university At the Coursera Women's Leadership Summit in the Middle East 2024, it brings together a group of academic and industrial leaders to exchange experiences and enhance scientific and knowledge communication.@AlMaarefa pic.twitter.com/GkMZXYrsbj [6].

Female Medical Students...Research Excellence In An International Conference

Medical students were able to: Shajoun Al-Azzam, Jana Samir, Sarah Al-Amer, and Amjad Al-Anzi Under the supervision of Dr. Suzan Muhammad achieved third place in their participation in the research submitted to the Third Saudi International Conference on Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, which was held in the period (26-27 November 2021) under the auspices of the Saudi Society for Women’s Health, entitled: “The extent of awareness of females residing in the city of Riyadh about the virus vaccine.” Papilloma", with the aim of measuring the degree of awareness of women over the age of 18 about the virus, its relationship to cervical cancer, methods of transmission, and the extent of their knowledge about the availability of a safe vaccine that protects against cervical cancer, especially since the vaccine is available in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [7].

The study - which competed with studies presented by doctors and medical students from several universities - was distinguished by its diagnosis of the cognitive reality (awareness) of the papilloma virus, and the availability of an anti-papilloma virus vaccine among the female community in the city of Riyadh, where the percentage of knowledge about the existence of the virus reached only (30%), and ( 15%) for those who know of the availability of a vaccine against it, from a sample consisting of (1003) individuals from multiple age, societal and educational segments; As for the level of awareness among female health workers who participated in the study, the study revealed that (58%) knew about the virus, and (47%) knew that there was a vaccine for the virus.

The study concluded that the level of awareness about the papilloma virus and the vaccine against it is low among females in the city of Riyadh. This requires the need to prepare and design awareness campaigns to educate about prevention, in addition to spreading knowledge about the availability of the vaccine and its ability to prevent cervical cancer.

Dr. commented. Saad Asiri, Vice Dean of the College of Medicine, in this regard, saying: The college invests in the scientific and research excellence of its students to prepare accurate scientific studies as part of the university’s social responsibility to reveal the level of collective awareness of diseases and how to prevent them, so that the decision maker will have a clear vision to address the cognitive and behavioral deficiencies of community members. ; He stressed that the student committee at the College of Medicine is keen to include in its strategic composition practical plans to prepare the future doctor with scientific preparation that enables him to master solid research skills to ensure the continuity of his scientific and practical excellence. He concluded his statement by congratulating the winning students and thanking the supervising doctor, praying to God Almighty for continued success and excellence for the students and staff. University of Knowledge.

For her part, Prof. Dr. Ibtisam Al-Madhi, Advisor to His Excellency the President of the University, said that research excellence in any university is a natural extension of the excellence of educational inputs, and therefore Al-Maarifa University is keen in its strategic plans to improve the inputs to achieve excellence in the outputs. Scientific research is a cumulative skill that the student acquires through theoretical scientific training and practical training to achieve the desired research quality.

Honoring the Students in the College of Medicine

His Excellency the President #جامعة_المعرفة Prof. Dr. Walid bin Hussein Abu Al-Faraj – in the presence of His Excellency the Dean of the College of Medicine – honors the two students in the College of Medicine: Joud Asfari and Kholoud Al-Sayegh, in recognition of their distinguished efforts in preparing and organizing the art exhibition accompanying the graduation ceremony of the tenth batch of university students [8].

In our great Islam, honoring women is a religion and an honorable prophetic guidance.

In our great Islam, honoring women is religious [9].

References