Why Female Students in Saudi Arabia are Seeking for Bachelor's Degree

The right to education, increased cost of living, additional income in the family, improvements made in recognition of women's rights, and the right to work have marked the increased need for female enrollment for Bachelor's degrees. On the other hand, the need for improved self-esteem and societal status have seen many Saudi Arabian women join post-secondary education institutions of higher learning to pursue and further their education levels for their good to assert their position in the society. The primary purpose of this study is to understand the various reasons why female students in Saudi Arabia are seeking a Bachelor's Degree, a phenomenon that was previously not common. The central question of this research study is: What are the Reasons Why Undergraduate Female Students in Saudia Arabia seek for a Bachelor's Degree?

Literature Review

Hewlett and Luce (2005), argue that women play a significant role in the society and their aspiration for improved education level arise from the fact that they want to improve and empower the community in general. On the other hand, I believe that acquiring a Bachelor's Degree is a way in which women can develop on their self-worth. At the same time, the growing need to overcome sexism forms a central and key reason as to why Saudi Arabian women want to get ahead in life by acquiring a higher education status. According to Dwyer (2011), a greater level of gender inequality in job opportunities, calls upon women to inculcate an aggressive approach towards empowering themselves by acquiring a Bachelors degree.

Besides the need to improve their social status, women has over the years yearned to work and help their families financially. The increased economic pressure, high inflation, and greater financial responsibilities have left women with little choice but to chip in and contribute towards family obligations. In the early years, women majorly worked towards social recognition and relevance, a situation that saw them serve mainly as social workers and teachers (Griffin 2006). Currently, many women with college degrees are jobless since major economies only grow in areas that are unlikely to employ them. According to Ozy (2015), this trend has seen a significant number of women disadvantaged and disenfranchised in the workplace, at home, and in social circles. It thus becomes essential for women to seek a Bachelor's degree to give them a better footing and an opportunity towards empowerment and improvement of their status increasing their employability in various sectors of the economy such as in manufacturing and engineering faculties. I believe, most women greatly aspire to make changes in the workplace to better place themselves on equal footing with their male counterparts especially in technical and challenging job opportunities.

On a different note, although a significant number of women aspiring for a Bachelor's Degree is gradually increasing, the rate of their absorption in the job market is still low in the country. The current economic condition in Saudi Arabia offers minimal chances for women to get employment opportunities for most of the jobs available only suit men. The situation, therefore, means that for women to get equal opportunities in the job market, they have to enroll and acquire a Bachelor's Degree that will give the level playing field with the males. Besides this, women need to register and acquire Bachelor's Degree to help them secure stable income. According to Deif (2008), women to need to support their parents and siblings financially a situation that will help them also raise their children responsibly and in a better way.

Conclusion

Finally, I believe that the various positions adopted by women for seeking a Bachelors Degree include the need to empower and build the society in addition to improving on their self-worth. Other reasons include working and helping their families financially, enabling them to compete adequately for the few available positions in the job market especially those predominately dominated by men. My critical situation is that despite the indication that a higher number have enrolled for Bachelors Degree as compared to their male counterparts, they still need to relook at the professions they need to concentrate on to increase their chances of employability. My central reason emanates from the fact that the absorption rate of women in both the service and manufacturing sector remains small, hence the need to improve their skills, a situation that can only be changed by acquiring a Bachelors Degree.

References

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Ozy, E. C. (2015). Many Women In The Arab World Are Highly Educated, But Underemployed.

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