The King Khaled Charitable Foundation has decided to allocate SR1 million annually to support post-graduate research studies conducted by Saudi women.
The decision was announced by Princess Modhy bint Khaled, Secretary General of the charity, at the opening of the first conference for female researchers of Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
The sum of SR1 million will be given for five years in support of scientific studies at the Research Centre of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Al-Watan Arabic daily reported. Four Saudi female students enrolled at the Centre this year to carry out doctoral studies and two enrolled to do Masters degrees.
The conference was held at the Hospital’s Prince Salman Hall. Fifteen researchers participated, calling for the removal obstacles to scientific research. Dr Suad Aamir, head of the research unit for breast cancer at the Hospital’s Research Centre; Dr Sameera Islam of King Fahd Medical Research Centre at King Abdul Aziz University; Dr Fatma Jamjoom, Supervisor of the Medical Sciences and Studies Department at King Saud University, and Dr Fowziya Al-Saleh, a member of Bahrain’s Shoura Council, were among the participants of the conference.
Dr Sameera spoke on the problems faced by women in scientific research and studies, saying that they were victims of discrimination. “Out of the 166 medical research papers presented at King Abdul Aziz University over the past 20 years, only 17 were the work of women,” Dr Sameera noted.
In a related development, the King Abdul Aziz City of Science and Technology has established a third category, exclusively for female researchers, in the Al-Marai Prize for Scientific Excellence. The other categories for best scientist and best innovative work are open to both men and women. The decision was made on the recommendation of Prince Sultan bin Muhammad bin Saud Al-Kabir, Chairman of Al-Marai Company.
Source: SPA
