Saudi Arabia – Ministry warns employers: it is a violation of the Kingdom’s labor regulations to insist a woman should be unmarried

Ministry spokesman Hatab Al-Anazi said: “Some private companies are stipulating conditions such as a woman shall be recruited only if she is single or not pregnant if married.

“It is against the regulations approved by the ministry.”

Al-Anazi added the demand a woman worker should remain single is also against the Islamic law adopted by the Kingdom. “The fourth clause of the ministry’s employment regulations stipulates both the employer and his worker should adhere to Shariah rules.”

Recently many private companies have started demanding women who seek jobs should be single. There have also been reports of women workers being sacked because they were pregnant…

via Ministry warns employers | ArabNews.

Wide Gender Divide in Employment in One-Fourth of Countries

Women are significantly less likely than men to be employed at capacity for an employer in 38 of the 144 countries where Gallup collected employment data in 2011. The gender gap is at least 15 percentage points in 13 countries, but is as wide as 22 points or more in Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, and Bolivia…

via Wide Gender Divide in Employment in One-Fourth of Countries.