JEDDAH: Saudi women have a new platform for advancement, thanks to an independent media startup highlighting aspects of Saudi women’s lives rarely shown in the past, while also challenging stereotypes about their experiences in the Kingdom.
Saudi Women’s Stories, established in 2019, aims to encourage and develop Saudi women storytellers and motivate youth across the Kingdom in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reforms and the country’s commitment to female empowerment.
It is not only a storytelling platform but also an educational platform providing content creation and self-development training in order to boost women’s confidence.
Monthly community events organized under the title “Coffee Talk” also focus on topics affecting and involving women.
Sheikha Aldosary, CEO and founder of Saudi Women’s Stories, has been working in media locally and internationally for over 12 years, and has encountered many false perceptions about Saudi Arabia in general and Saudi women in particular.
Creating the platform was one way to counter misconceptions and provide an accurate image, she said.
The platform provides content creation and self-development training. (Supplied)
“I always believe that storytelling/stories bring order to the chaos of life. The region is experiencing unprecedented momentum when it comes to women’s empowerment. As Saudi women, we have so much to be proud of in terms of our achievements,” Aldosary said.
“Through this platform, we seek to create opportunities for women who have less confidence and to encourage women who believe their stories are not good enough to share, and help them inspire others. We also support them to enhance their leadership and participation in every field and sector.”
HIGHLIGHTS
• Saudi Women’s Stories, established in 2019, aims to encourage and develop Saudi women storytellers and motivate youth across the Kingdom in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reforms and the country’s commitment to female empowerment.
• The platform — a partner with the UN and a contributor to the Sustainable Development Goals, with a primary focus on SDG 5: Gender equality — organizes campaigns and events to showcase women’s stories and promote youth empowerment, while connecting them with opportunities.
The platform — a partner with the UN and a contributor to the Sustainable Development Goals, with a primary focus on SDG 5: Gender equality — organizes campaigns and events to showcase women’s stories and promote youth empowerment, while connecting them with opportunities.
Aldosary recently won the entrepreneur-woman of the year award from Arabian Business as part of its KSA excellence awards for offering unbiased news, information and stories about women and social development in Saudi Arabia in both Arabic and English.
The award honors Saudi women working to achieve success in their respective fields.
Aldosary believes the award carries with it a responsibility to establish a strong support network for women to collaborate and network, inspiring everyone with Saudi women’s empowerment stories.
“We invite young people and women to share their stories and support other people going through a similar journey or situation. The platform is looking to publish creative stories and welcome anyone to join our community event that focuses on advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment,” she added.
