[View the story "Saudi women-only city? Look again" on Storify ]Saudi women-only city? Look again A misreported story sparks debate over employing the Kingdom's women. Storified by The Stream · Fri, Aug 17 2012 15:30:08
Saudi Industrial Property Authority - "MODON" begins Planning and Development for the first industrial city being readied for women workers in the KingdomSaudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON) is a government agency created by the Government of Saudi Arabia in 2001 through Ministerial ...
The area, called Al-Ahsa 2nd Industrial City, is designed to provide hundreds of work opportunities for women, something not readily accepted in many Saudi businesses and communities. But it appears that news editors - many from highly-regarded organisations - didn't quite read past the headline.
The Guardian was among the first to report the story, which was later cited by other news sites:
A women-only industrial city dedicated to female workers is to be constructed in Saudi Arabia to provide a working environment that is in line with the kingdom's strict customs. The city, to be built in the Eastern Province city of Hofuf, is set to be the first of several planned for the Gulf kingdom.Saudi Arabia plans new city for women workers only | World news | The Guardian
However, here's the subhead from the press release:
Al-Ahsa 2nd Industrial City will create job opportunities for both men and womenSaudi Industrial Property Authority - "MODON" begins Planning and Development for the first industrial city being readied for women workers in the Kingdom
And then later, in the second paragraph:
Special sections and production halls will be reserved for women within the factory, i. e, the city is not closed or not intended for women only.Saudi Industrial Property Authority - "MODON" begins Planning and Development for the first industrial city being readied for women workers in the Kingdom
Yet The Guardian reported that the women-only city was approved by the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, and confirmed by a spokesperson:
The Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon), which is developing the women-only industrial city at Hofuf, said it hoped the city would open next year. Prince Mansour bin Miteb bin Abdulaziz, minister of municipal and rural affairs, had approved the plan, a spokesperson said.Saudi Arabia plans new city for women workers only | World news | The Guardian
What would a city made up of only women be like? It’s a question that people have pondered throughout history -- sometimes with high-minded intent, sometimes for cheap thrills. Herodotus wrote of the Amazons, female warriors who were said to enslave men to reproduce; Hollywood gave us the sublimely terrible 1958 science fiction movie Queen of Outer Space, in which Zsa Zsa Gabor plays a Venusian scientist on an all-female planet where some American male astronauts have been forced to crash-land. (The men struggle against their mini-skirted oppressors, prevail, and presumably get lucky.)Can All-Women Cities Solve Saudi Arabia's Productivity Problem? - Politics - The Atlantic Cities
Germany's
Deutsche-Welle also examined the issue, but interviewed experts who doubted the initiative would work. The piece even quoted a former
Al Jazeera journalist based in Qatar, a neighbouring Gulf country:
"Women are often the ones to call for separation of the sexes," she said. "It is women who say, 'I am not comfortable with men at work; I can only think of work in a place where women are among each other'."Experts skeptical of Saudi plans for women-only work zone | World | DW.DE | 17.08.2012
Meanwhile, dozens of other sites posted articles, videos and opinion pieces on the story:
Saudi Arabia Announces Women-Only Citynewsyworld
Saudi Arabia builds women only city for female workersFactories will be built where they will be the bosses and men will be banned from production lines Saudi Arabia is to build a city just f...
Saudis plan to build women-only citySaudi Arabia is planning to build a women-only city to provide its active females with a job environment in line with the kingdom's Shari...
Bloggers questioned the idea of a women-only city, like this post from
iwoke2this :
Um…no words. This is just - baffling. 1) If they still can’t drive, how will they manage to get to work, or will everything be within walking distance to their houses? 2) Will women run *everything* in this city? 3) Only 5,000 jobs to be created? That seems low; I thought the population was much higher. I guess it’s a good start.saudi arabia | Tumblr
From Modon’s website and Al-Rasheed’s interview, it’s apparent that the “women” part comes from the novelty of having women allowed on a manufacturing site and not that it will be completely operated from A to Z by women. In a country where the Highest Islamic Council has on it’s website a fatwa discouraging people from allowing women to specialize in scientific fields and where the number of women who have experience in industry is somewhere around zero, it wouldn’t be business-savvy to open a whole industrial city for women. It would be basically opening a ghost town and burning millions of dollars.Saudiwoman's Weblog
Netizens shared strong opinions about the alleged Saudi proposal:
Saudi Arabia is building a city just for women.. Could you not just give them normal rights?Kjetil Baksaas
Saudi Arabia aims to close wide employment gap between genders by creating city with segregated spaces for women to work #HumanRights #WTFdeathbybinary
Saudi's new glorious city for example, is patriarchy at its finest - keep women out of spheres of influence...Ify Otuya
Leave it up to Saudi to do something bizarre & illogical. Yes, lets solve the prob of women by sticking them in diff cityWafa Ft
Women's liberation--Saudi style.James Wasserman
Saudi Arabia is creating the world’s first female-only city. In a country that doesn’t allow alcohol and makes its women cover themselves from head to toe, it’s a wonder there are any men there in the first place.Jim Barach
Others focused on the positive sides of the initiative:
Interesting idea. A unique solution to the problem---a much LARGER problem than that addressed, of course, but a solution nonetheless. Of course, I still disagree with the "inferior status" that women seem to have in Muslim culture, but I'd be interested to see what develops from this. So a very cautious "kudos" to you, Saudi Arabia :)Jeremy Bullard
Plan to build women-only city, is a ray of hope for empowering women in the Saudi horizonJyoti Batu
I hope the all-women Saudi city would outpace other Saudi cities! #RedEyeMichelle McKnight
Saudi Arabia will have the first women only city. Women only owned, managed & implemented business? Whoa. Maybe I could get a job there?SoCalDutchess
Naturally, jokes also emerged:
So Saudi Arabia is building a city for women only…I would hate to be there during that time of the month…(bad joke, i know)Joe Martin
In the Saudi women's only city, who is going to stomp on the big scary spider? #AwfulSexistTweets #RedEyeFurrystoat
Wonder if some Saudi guys will dress up in drag to try and land an apartment or job in this planned women's only city #RedEyeFen Wei
On August 15,
Al Arabiya reported that a women-only city is not in the works, and none was ever planned to begin with. The piece highlighted the missteps of both local and international news organisations in covering the story:
Scratch that! No women-only city in Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia is not building an industrial city for women only. Let us repeat this: Saudi Arabia is NOT building an industrial city for w...
After that piece was published, a few people called out those who got the story wrong:
Did anyone reporting on Saudi Arabia's 'women-only city' contact the corporation building it to confirm the story? Al Arabiya denies.Jess Hill
@PaulFidalgo @center4inquiry By the way, re: the reference to reports on plans for women-only city in Saudi Arabia - that story was debunkedChris Stedman
Surprised noone is updating mistaken "women-only Saudi city" story that went viral. @Guardian still has 3 pieces online. cc @JonathanHaynesAbigail Haworth
Some websites posted messages like this alongside their stories:
Editor's note: After this story was published, a report from Al Arabiya English said the new municipality will be open to both men and women. Other sources have yet to confirm this report.Coming to Saudi Arabia: The world's first women-only city - The Week
Others simply quoted Al Arabiya raising questions about how news spreads, and why editors didn't independently verify the information:
UPDATE on 8/15/2012 at 3:20 pm ET: Al Arabiya English reported on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia is not building a women-only industrial city.Saudi Arabia To Build Women-Only Industrial City: Reports (UPDATE)
Despite the mistake coming to light, newspapers are still carrying the initial story:
In the Sri Lankan news yesterday , #Saudi Arabia, a City for Women http://pic.twitter.com/iCnMI1AlJamal Abu-Hulaigah
