Women's Empowerment in Changing Times in Saudi Arabian Higher Education

Today we are joined by Dr. Fawziah Al-bakr to discuss the changing rules, roles, and opportunities within and beyond higher education for women in Saudi Arabia, especially in light of the Saudi Vision 2030. The Vision has opened access for women to pursue degrees in different disciplines, and changes to gender segregation in the labor force mean significantly increased opportunities for women both with and without postsecondary degrees. Dr. Fawziah Al-bakr is a professor of the Sociology of Education at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She achieved her bachelor and master degrees in Saudi Arabia and received her PhD from the University of London. Dr. Al-bakr has researched and written extensively on education and women and gender studies. In 2013, she was named as one of 125 Most Influential Women in the World by Newsweek. Relevant Works by Dr. Albakr: Al-bakr, F., Bruce, E. R., Davidson, P. M., Schlaffer, E., & Kropiunigg, U. (2017). Empowered but not Equal: Challenging the Traditional Gender Roles as Seen by University Students in Saudi Arabia. FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education, 4(1), 52-66. Wiseman, A. W. & Al-bakr, F. (2013). The elusiveness of teacher quality: A comparative analysis of teacher certification and student achievement in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. PROSPECTS, 43, 289-309.