I have no qualms in recognizing any Saudi woman who is viewed as role model veiled or unveiled. I identified the women whom I was aware and who kept coming up when one does internet searches. As I stated in the article, I want even more women to be recognized. Please, add your contributions to the list.

And I guess the question is, does it truly matter if they are veiled or not? I do not judge ones actions by whether or not they wear a veil.

Excuse me if I was a negative person, but why there were no veiled women who made a remarkable change or help to change some Ideas or stereotype comments

let get realistic if they were veiled they weren’t appear at least on this article LOL

peace up

I agree with whoever commented that those who are trailblazers and those who ‘dared to drive’ did need those connections but at least they are paving the way for others who may not have the same level of connections to follow in their footsteps.

I’d love to interview an average woman but these are the ones less likely to be willing to talk at this time.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/544435-ladies-who-launch

I don’t believe that was the main point though, only that, like the others American Bedu mentioned in her post, Dr Sindi is a leader in her field and a role model for Saudi women (in her case she deliberately seeks to empower younger women); and, a theme you added as a secondary one to that of the post, that she comes from a modest family, proving that success can be achieved with self-belief, determination, family support, and government grants (her list of what helped her to succeed, and that she lectures on to the benefit of other women).

As you know from your reading she is credited with a number of firsts including, from:
http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:vIEuMNitA54J:www.wrmea.com/backissues/0699/9906038.html+%22hayat+sindi%22+scholarship&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=ca
“Sindi, the first Arab woman to win a scholarship from Cambridge University in England to pursue a doctoral program in biotechnology…”

Her exceptional success, rather than her modest background is what seems to make her conference worthy, and news worthy.

You and I seem to be in agreement on the need for expanded opportunities across the social classes, and
that for now it seems the better connected need to lead the way to increase opportunities for others.

I do know alot of highly connected people in a variety of countries, and at some point they all have to “earn their keep” by their own talents and work if they are to continue on to places like Harvard, and to achieve real success in their fields.
Even a foreign medical grad who got his degree because of his powerful family, who ensured that he finally passed, after repeated tries not accorded to others–at least he passed eventually and wasn’t just gifted with the degree– will not receive the same favours during his specialty training here, and so will be safe to release onto the unsuspecting public in whichever country he chooses to practice.
Or a Canadian student, who only got a Masters degree because her academically powerful father bullied a collection of academics into giving her extra help and opportunities, was redirected out of further graduate studies as being beyond her capabilities.

Returning to Saudi and the post, you might be interested in the article ISLAM, ISLAMIC WORLD AND GENDER JUSTICE November, 2004
by Asghar Ali (Engineer)
.php%3Farticle%3D2004/november.htm+%22hayat+sindi%22+scholarship&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ca
on the history of female scholarship in Islam and the contemporary picture which needs to be more Islamic in education ie more gender equal, including references to Hayat Sindi and Dr Fawziah Bakr Al-Bakr ( another potential candidate for American Bedu’s list?).

Or in the slide presentation on Gulf Arab women and Science and Technology, about the current situation and future directions which also lists Hayat Sindi (among other women) as one of the successful Gulf scientists (more candidates for American Bedu’s list?)

http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:4ndbnEzruCUJ:www.myplick.com/view/7dVe71fvJNC/0201kuwait-presentation-si+%22hayat+sindi%22+scholarship&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=15&gl=ca

I still think that women achieving different goals, however privileged they are, will still install inspiration into others. Which is what role models do.

And as far as the shocking attempt at driving goes, Perhaps it’s better to be attempted by those who are well-connected, as they can’t so easily be made to dissappear in some jail. Perhaps we should also consider the fact that those ladies at least dared to stand up and risk something. I understand there were quite serious repercussions for the ladies and their husbands as well.

I have been in the IP business for over seven years. Patents and patent applications are searchable by inventor name. You are talking about assignee information which is different. Her one pending patent application, for instance, has an assignee, yet one is able to find and view the entire application online because she is listed as the inventor.

All this means is that the patent doesnt belong to her. It is a very common occurance. Most engineers and scientists sign agreements that any invention found whilst working for them becomes the property of the company or institution. It means they dont usually get the money involved if the invention is patented, but it also means they dont have to pay for the expensive prosecution of the application.

Anyway, Sindi is the exception that proves the rule. She is doing good stuff, but women like her, seemingly without connections, are really rare in Saudi.

I read some of the articles about her and some have glaring inaccuracies, like one that claimed the Saudi women could not get scholarships to study abroad. My oldest SIL got her Bachelors and Masters on the scholarship studying abroad, my wife got her Bachelors on it and another SIL got her Bachelors on it and is doing her Masters on it.

What needs to happen in Saudi is for society to evolve to where it is common for a person to go from “rags to riches” as it were and become successful. What this women is doing is great, but it should be common places that a person, a woman, be able to do whatever they want. It shouldnt be a news worthy event.

In Saudi, it is sad to say, that connections and wealth still trump plain old hard work and ambitition.