AS a woman, have you ever wondered what the impact on your life would be if you suddenly found yourself living in a patriarchal state? Back in sunny South Africa, you lived as an independent woman and then, all of a sudden, you set foot in Saudi Arabia, which turns your experience and perception of freedom in the opposite direction.
Former Caxton South journalist Belinda Voortman talks to the CHRONICLE about moving to Saudi Arabia, a patriarchal state, with her family where she had to, for example, give up driving privileges as a woman, and also tells us about the benefits this brave move holds for her children and about life in this beautiful desert country.
Belinda and her family left Alberton to start a new life in the Cove Compound, after her husband accepted a job in Yanbu. They left their eldest daughter in South Africa so that she can complete her schooling, as she would be a year behind in school had she relocated with her family.
Belinda explained that in Saudi Arabia, woman are not allowed to drive or even operate any other mechanical object and even expat women must wear an abaya, which is a robe-like dress worn by women in Saudi Arabia, when they appear in public.
“Men are not allowed to show their knees. I remember being horrified at the idea of having to cover out whenever I went out, but I now quite enjoy not having to worry about what outfit to wear. The abaya is like a uniform.“I catch a taxi or walk when I want to go somewhere, and feel totally safe doing so. On the positive side, I get more exercise but it can be frustrating not being able to hop in the car for a loaf of bread.
“Shopping can be a challenge due to the frequent prayer times and shops that close for up to 30 minutes at a time. In winter, prayer times are 6:00, 13:00, 15:45, 17:45, 18:45 and 20:00. These times also change as the seasons change. We once had to leave our trolley full of groceries and wait for half an hour outside the shop due to prayers taking place.
“However, in the compound we can live as Westerners, doing pretty much everything we would back home,” Belinda said.
Yet, life in a country such as Saudi Arabia is not just about adaption and giving up some of the privileges the Voortman family had to get used to as expats.
“Schooling, for instance, is exceptional. The children attend an international school which teaches an American curriculum. The one exciting change for our daughter in Grade Eight is the advanced technology she is exposed to and the programming language she is learning. All work is submitted online and the class posts projects on a class site for all to see. This system encourages more responsibility and independence.”
As Saudi Arabia is a patriarchal state, women are not always given opportunities to further their studies or use their education, but these things are slowly changing, Belinda said.
“Kaust University is a modern facility with state-of-the-art equipment and is open to men and women. Expat women also do not have to cover their heads with scarves anymore and there is talk of abolishing the no-driving law. This law has had a nasty spin-off as boys young as nine drive cars here!” she said.
Praising the beauty of the country, Belinda said: “We are fortunate in that we live five minutes from the beautiful Red Sea and one of our favourite activities is to snorkel. White Sands is 40 kilometres away and we can swim in bathing suites and sun tops here. The water is truly beautiful, with masses of colourful fish and coral reefs. My dream is to swim with dolphins and sea turtles.”
Belinda explained that in Saudi Arabia you will not find movies, theatres, live music festivals or bars and that alcohol is prohibited. There are only a few things to do for entertainment so they have to create their own by visiting with friends, spending time with family, swimming and exploring.
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