The Saudi Ministry of Health has introduced new regulations governing what clothes female medical workers will wear on the job. Now, a particular coat and head covering will me uniform and mandatory for all female staff.
I’ve mixed feelings about this. Clearly, telling people what they may wear is not, shall we say, a light in the world of human rights or dignity. On the other hand, the Ministry of Health has been coming in for (deserved) criticism about too many mistakes being made in Saudi hospitals. The disparity of clothing worn in medical environments certainly can add to that problem, so a uniform designed to by hygienic makes a lot of sense. I guess I can also see that trying to accommodate patients’ sense of ease while in the hospital is a worthy goal.
But the move also serves to constrain women, to impose the social preferences of some that women be covered head-to-toe, and to shut off one of the few venues in which women in Saudi Arabia were permitted to dress more-or-less like women in hospitals around the world.
Is this a matter of one side winning, both sides winning, or both sides losing?
Long coats and scarfs now obligated by ministry
Diana Al-Jassem Saudi GazetteJeddah – Hospitals now require nurses to wear government approved coat and a head scarf at all times while working
Ministry of Health released a directive obligating nurses to wear new long coats covering their bodies, full sleeves and white scarves to cover their hair.
Expatriate nurses in the Kingdom have objected to wearing head coverings while working because they say they used to wear long tunics which covered their bodies. The Ministry of Health issued its ruling to start the use of a new coat with specific details which should never be changed.
Nurses are complaining stating it is a decision which infringes on their personal freedom.
“I work in a private hospital and I don’t see the purpose of this decision because I never wear a scarf nor do I know how to wear it,” said Aimy Early, a Christian Filipino nurse in the Kingdom.
Wearing coat that fits with the Islamic rules is not a new decision, instead the coat will be obligatory in government and private hospitals.
“Most of the nurses are wearing clothes for a long time that do not infringe on Islamic rules; but we still want to ensure that they wear the coat in the government and private hospitals,” said Abdulrahamn Al-Sahafi, public relations manager for the Jeddah Health Affairs.
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July:20:2008 - 09:59
I’m very surprised to see that the article implies the head scarf is also being enforced. Now of course in surgery everyone covers their hair but elsewhere surprises me. I am not seeing this yet at least at National Guard although all female staff are expected to wear lab coats even if wearing a professional business suit with jacket.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
Requiring hospital staff with long hair to cover it is a reasonable precaution, but it should apply to men, as well. Certainly it would be better for men, whose hair caan be just as greasy as women’s, to be covered in a clinical setting.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
Definitely! Same with the clothing and personal hygiene.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
Question: how does scrubbing prior to surgery work since it involved exposure of forearms for adequate cleaning?
July:20:2008 - 09:59
I think there’s probably a different set of rules for what goes on in a surgical theater than in the hospital in general.
And anyway, the Saudi nurses are primarily males… it’s non-Saudis who fill the rest of the nursing jobs for the most part.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
This uniform sounds exactly like the type of decree that comes from the Religious police. I do not see anything that tells me they are doing it to improve hygiene.
With all the problems the ministry of health has, they sure picked one that will have a huge impact on the poor conditions of the hospitals under their management. I guess if they make the robes long enough they will get the dirty floors in some of their hospitals swept automatically!!!
Carol, The National Guard Hospitals along with all other military hospitals are not managed by the ministry of health. That is why you see the quality health care in military hospitals. Most other government hospitals are poorly run with the exception with a few prestigious ones like King Faisal in Riyadh.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
That’s pretty paradoxal: the hospitals nót managed by the ministry of health have higher quality?
The religious police are now experts on hygiene? That’s a funny one too!
I think things are changing in KSA, and that invokes a response by those who are against change to try and increase repression. It’s a natural consequence.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
Aafke: There’s a reason why the KSA is called ‘The Magic Kingdom’ and it has nothing to do with Walt Disney… except that it’s sometimes really, really strange!
July:20:2008 - 09:59
what good does this rule have 2 do 2 protect morality? i know a friend whooze uncle was admitted for some minor reason in a jeddah hospital for three dayz—da second nite, when he visited his uncle in his room, after 9pm, he opened da door and found his uncle having sex on da hospital bed with a female egyptian nurse. He said he was shocked and left da room—he went 2 da cafeteria area, where he saw an indian nurse snacking and started chatting with her.They went to an empty room, locked da door, and had sex with each other—so i dont know how this rule will protect female morality.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
Zani Oh my…I don’t know what these nurses would find appealing about a sick person lying in a bed. SO gross. I wonder if it is for money. Anyways, you are right a piece of cloth doesn’t make anyone morally upright. It is in the inside first. Full stop. If someone is a whore, a scarf ain’t really gonna stop them.
I hope the Ministry of Health falls into the core of the earth. They have nothing better to do then pick on women’s garb. Gimme a break.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
Zani, I’m also wondering about your friends morality. And logic. So shocked that his uncle was having sex, but not minding doing a bit himself with another nurse in another room?
What is this obsession with scarves when everybody residing in the kingdom of hypocrisy has the morals of a civet-cat anyway?
July:20:2008 - 09:59
actually aafke, i know this friend like since childhood and he is like a brother and wouldnt lie—however, this incident happened about six yrs ago, and when i asked him about it in detail, he was shocked seeing his uncle in such a position considering how religious he (uncle) was and of course that uncle had grandchildren—and he was secretly seeing that happening with his own eyes, that was y he was shocked—i knew that uncle 2 and he parakeeted alwayz about morality and piety etc—But that friend was young single and playboy, and i know from childhood that he was a womanizer and so its not shocking for a young fit handsome stud 2 screw a young female especially one that is of ur own ethnic background in a foreign country. i mean most young men, regardless of religion and ethnicity, would never pass up such a chance 2 have sex with opposite sex unless of course ur sexually impotent, a faggot or clinically depressed. I hope this very much clears up ur reservations and doubts!!
July:20:2008 - 09:59
Sparky, im telling u, i lived in that kingdom and it iz da biggest whorehouse and land of hypocrisy which u can ever imagine so retrospectively, there is nothing 2 b shocked or flabbergasted about and yes ur rite, a piece of cloth isnt going 2 stop someone from whoring around if she wants 2—that was y i specifically mentioned this particular incident of a good friend of mine and his uncle 2 underscore this point—and believe me, i know many more shocking incidents i encountered while living there and i could keep writing but da main point is what u just said that it all matters whats inside da heart—if inside u have a good heart and r spiritually clean, not necessarily religious, it was show on ur face as well as ur character—yet u can wear all da veils 2 cover urself from head 2 toe, but if u r of bad character, ur style of walking and talking will clearly show that.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
Zani,
WOW, You forgot the most important reason why people will not do that. It is something called morality. May be you should acquaint yourself with the word and what it means. By the way your story does not pass simple logical scrutiny. I was willing to let it by and I did for a few days, until you started your rants. You simply sound like a bragging teenager that is telling a FISH story.
Saudi has some prostitution, but it is less than other places because of the stricter rules.What I will say next may sound like a personal insult, but that is only because it is meant that way:
“Only a whore or a person that hangs exclusively with whores, can think an entire country is a whorehouse”
Sorry John, but the guy just called my country a whorehouse.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
I don’t think the KSA is a whorehouse, not by a long stretch.
But I will say that repression tends to make people do things out of desperation, not thinking through the meaning or consequences of their actions. I definitely did see what would pass a ‘loose morals’ in the KSA, from Saudis as well as foreigners. But I think that it’s mostly in the mind.
I have to say, too, that many, many Saudi males seem to be trapped in an adolescent form of seeing the world as utterly sexualized. I think that because there is such a taboo about sex outside of marriage that very many can’t think of anything but sex. They see a woman and they think sex. They see a car and they think about the sex they could have in it.
Not all Saudis, of course. Maybe not even a majority. But far too many. As a result, they tend to see foreign women and think ‘whore’, no matter the woman’s virtue or behavior. It’s even worse if she’s blonde!
July:20:2008 - 09:59
John,
I agree with what you said. May be Zani sees sex and whores every where in his mind too..
Do not get me wrong, I think many of the perceptions of women and especially foreign women in Saudi are wrong and shameful. However, there is a difference of men thinking about sex and having those perceptions and the country turning into a sexual orgy.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
perhaps whorehouse was 2 much of a stretch i admit—but what i meant 2 say for a lack of better term is that a lot of adultery happens there than in other countries around it—only difference is, it happenz behind clozed doors—but it happens A LOT and it is precisely due 2 theeze strict laws and rigid interpretation of islam. first had 2 clear this up
second, and this directed specifically for Saudi in US, unlike u, i wont engage in petty name calling and belittlement like u as i believe that goes against da decorum of debate—i can understand that ur in shock about theeze hanky panky stuff going in ur country, but i lived there 2 and i saw with my eyez what happened so thank u, but no thanks, with da most due respect, i dont need u or anybody else telling me what happenz or doenst happen there when my own eyes were witness 2 what happenz and doesnt happenz there—of course i never ever said that EVERY INDIVIDUAL saudi is immoral or a hypocrite but a very good number are and that is da sad bitter truth. And i told this incident not 2 convince u or anybody, but just in reaction 2 this article. So at da end of da day, i dont care if u or anybody doesnt believe my story or calls it false becuz im not here 2 convince anybody and i have many other important thingz 2 do than brag or boast—and that statement u said in quotations is just a generalized cliche statement and doesnt really mean anything—i can come up with thousands of cliched statements but that is just that;nothing based on real logic. And ur saying that i c sex and whores everywhere in my mind too, well which part of my post u failed 2 understand—ur just so consumed in ur anger of my usage of da term whorehouse that u fail 2 use any logic in ur arguments so plz get ur own facts straight becuz ur not making any sense at all—and last but not least dont preach me about morality; thats precisely y ppl, both muslims and non-muslims c most saudis as hypocrites becuz on ur face they scream on da top of their lungs about morality and piety, just like my friends uncle, and then engage in adultery,pedophile, rape, molestation etc—im sure u know about this, cross da bridge and ur in shariah free zone bahrain and i dont need 2 tell u what many saudis r doing there escaping their own strict land and its values; of course its just not bahrain, i know a lot what saudi women as well as men do all over da world, more than even what u perhaps know, but anyways, i will leave it at that 2 save u embarrassment but i know my morality very well thank u very much.
Sorry John, apologize that my post was very long, but i think it was worth my time and effort 2 clarify myself and make my point across.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
zani: I have to disagree with you. I don’t think there is any higher rate of adultery in the KSA than in any other country. Well, maybe if you factor in that up to four wives might be getting cheated on in a single act, but that a special case.
Saudis are human beings, even though there’s a strong social and religious tendency to believe that they are better than everyone else. That means they have the same human failings as those in every other country. The fact that the society preaches a strictly conservative religious ethos does not mean that Saudis are magically purer or less pure than anyone else. It does make the failings stand out in stark contrast to the projected image, however.
Because Saudi law and custom prohibit any form of sexual activity outside of marriage, Saudi law and custom run against human nature. That conflict in itself will insure that the curious, the rebellious, the just plain horny will act in violation of social norms. Just how they do that depends.
We’ve already seen that many young male Saudis engage in homosexual activity at least until they can find a socially acceptable heterosexual relationship. Men, who have a tendency to be sexually assertive at a hormonal level, will find ways to have sex, legal or not. If they have money, they might employ a mistress; if they don’t they might frequent the houses of prostitution that seem to exist in every city of any size. They might take advantage of opportunities that present themselves–as in the hospital you mention–or abuse their domestic servants.
Saudi women are not immune to the effects of hormones, curiosity, rebelliousness, etc. simply because they’re Saudi or women. Saudi society keeps a much tighter rein on their behavior in order to prevent mistakes. Sadly, this isn’t done so much to protect the women against their own mistakes, but rather in order to protect their future value as mothers, members of a family, clan, or tribe.
It’s been my experience in life that telling someone to not do something while not providing a good reason for the prohibition is unwise. It more often than not ends up with that someone going out to do exactly what’s prohibited in order to see what the fuss is about. What constitutes a ‘good reason’ is going to vary by the individual. Some women will accept the social definition of their roles and live happily under the restraints. Other women, no less moral in their own minds, would rather make those decisions for themselves.
Of course, actions have consequences. Some can be foreseen and accepted. But not everyone has good foresight. Not everyone even thinks about consequences when focused on achieving an end. That’s where it gets really messy, whether it’s about sex or using wasta, or turning a blind eye to an obvious wrong. Bad consequences are always ‘unintended’.
I do not condemn Saudi society for the overcomplexity into which it has wound sexuality. I do regret that it does not have the ability to rationally argue its preferences in any public domain. Debate on the subject is suppressed, mostly through social pressures, and certainly through religious pressures.
I’m definitely not calling for a Saudi Sexual Revolution like that that swept the West in the 1960s. The unintended consequences of that are still echoing today. But Saudis have never sat down among themselves to figure out just what it is they do and don’t want. That’s just a pity.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
WOW, you are stupid. Like calling an entire country a whorehouse does not imply our women are not whores. Do not try that in person with anyone, insulting you back will be the least of your problems.
And what debate would I have with someone that writes like you do. No thanks, reading your posts is like reading the scribbles of someone in 5th grade. It bores me to death.
By the way if you think I am closed minded and do not understand the issues of the country, then read John’s excellent response and know I do support all of his comments.
If you want people to respect you, then learn how to measure your words in the future, no one will accept you calling his country a whorehouse which includes his family.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
@saudi in US
well guess what dude, i will just take ur insult in good stride—no point in arguing with u obviously even though i did say in da beginning of my post, that perhaps whorehouse was not da best of terms—but i did explain in detail what i meant so that should had cleared it up—and if reading my posts is like reading scrribles of a fifth grader, then y did u read my posts, which obviously u did and hence responded back??? that shows ur own dwarfed maturity level and lack of mental cohesiveness. So just take a chill pill and relax—i dont know if ur close minded or not but u sure r hot headed and oversensitive, thats for sure. and plz like morality dont teach me about respect becuz i have a lot of ppl who i respect and they respect me and i respect all ppl regardless of what culture,country, and religion they r unless they act like a jackass. again i agree that using whorehouse was not da best of choice, and sorry for da pain and hurt it may have caused u becuz it was not intentional or personal—however everything else i do stand by such as it being a land of hypocrites and double standards (again not all but a good no. of them).
July:20:2008 - 09:59
Zani,
Learn a lesson. When you call an entire country a whorehouse every citizen of that country will get personally insulted. My reaction to it was not over sensitive and very reasonable. I criticize Saudis more than you do here, if you ever read any of my comments. A simple apology would have been nice without qualifying it with more rants.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
@john
based on my experiences in saudi as well as friends and relatives who still currently reside there, i would beg 2 differ with u on regards to a da rate of adultery—i have also travelled and lived in some of da neighboring countries and based on personal experience, i can claim with certainty that adultery is more widespread in saudi, albeit in cladestine form. But its OK if u dont agree becuz we can agree 2 disagree!!
da rest of ur post, i do agree more or less but that was da whole point of my post that those rigid interpretations of religion and tribal mentality culture is producing for da most part a dysfunctional society—that was what i meant when i posted that incident in response 2 reading that article that da ministry wanted 2 add more attire to female health workers in da kingdom—of course ur r absolutely rite, that dysfunctional ppl and bad apples r present in every culture,country and religion but u have got 2 admit that in saudi, a certain interpretation of religion is producing frustrated, dysfunctional and hypocritical youth and now even Arab News editors since da last few years r being upfront about it. Again not all saudis but a very good no. of them which cannot b ignored.
when u say in ur quote “saudi women r not immune 2 da effects of hormones, curiosity etc simply becuz they r saudi or women”—well that is true 2 a certain extent but not entirely becuz da fact that they r saudi and as u said urself live in a society where authorities keep a tight lid on female movements and actions, does make them precisely unique than other women in da world—u gotta admit that!
July:20:2008 - 09:59
OK fine if that helps, im really sincerely sorry becuz i didnt mean it deliberately or personally at all.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
I’m interested by what you had to say. I’m a British journalist working in the Gulf and would like to find out more about what really goes on in Saudi hospitals and wider society. How does gender segregation work at work?
July:20:2008 - 09:59
The rules on segregation are generally set by the employer. Some are more ‘lax’ than others. All, however, are subject to external pressures brought to bear directly on them.
If someone complains to religious authorities, then management might find it convenient to rein in current ‘lax’ practices. If it goes unnoticed, it goes unchanged.
State employers are far more liable to pressure than private companies, for reasons that should be obvious.
July:20:2008 - 09:59
Heidi,
I’ve written several posts about distinctions between public and private hospitals as well as sharing a detailed account of my own experiences both as patient and employee of one of the largest hospitals in Riyadh. These are easy to retrieve doing a search with the word ‘hospital’ on my blog: http://americanbedu.com
Regards,
Carol
July:20:2008 - 09:59
I absolutely do second Carol’s redirection! : )
She has the best info on this topic of any blogs about Saudi Arabia.