International Women at Chico State University

Today (May 2, 2008) at Chico State University, I attended the Women Around the World forum presented by Katherine Punteney, International Student Advisor.  In attendance were five Chico State students:  Susana of Costa Rica, Shuting of China, Vanita of India, Motoko of Japan and Khulood of Saudi Arabia.  This was offered as part of International Education Week.

The five women introduced themselves and immediately began answering questions. 

The first question was about education in their countries.  The person asking the question wanted to know if education was offered equally to boys and girls.  Susan told us that in Costa Rica education is offered to all and schools are not separated by gender.  It is common for women to pursue degrees in engineering.  For India, Vanita explained that there are coed schools and non segregated schools.  She explained that her aunt, who is from a previous generation, feared coed education for Vanita.  Rural families with many children are rewarded when they send their children to school more than eighty percent of the school year.  Many female students pursue degrees in computer science or electronics.  In Saudi Arabia, schools are coed from kindergarten through the third grade.  After that, Khulood explained, that though students study the exact same things, they are separated by gender.  Colleges are also separated by gender.  In these schools instructors are also of the same gender.  If a male teacher must teach females, it is done via television.  For medical school, the genders are mixed.  In China, all schools are coed.  According to Shuting, college dormitories are separate and boys are not allowed in the girl’s dorm and vice versa.  Motoko told us that Japan is very similar to the United States with regards to education.  Many women pursue a two year college degree and all men pursue a four year university education.  There are women who also pursue a university education.

Many of the audience were women and they had several questions regarding women in these countries.  The group wanted to know if women were required to stay in the home and raise children.  When asked if men ever staid home to care of the children, they all laughed.  In all of the countries, women are entitled to an education.  However, women are the primary caregivers for young children.  Many will work until married and with children.  Family is important to all of these societies so women tend to quit work and care for their own children.  Vanita explained that it was once believed a waste of resources to educate a woman who would only return home to care for children.  That belief is now changing.  Khulood of Saudi Arabia told us that a man is required to provide for his wife and their family.  All monies earned by the woman are her own to keep and spend as she likes.  She is not to contribute to the household.  In China, more and more women have to work because it is so expensive that both incomes are vital.  In this case, a grandparent or a day care would care for the small children until they are of school age. 

Japanese College Campus

The next question involved marriage.  Are women required to marry?  In Costa Rica, woman may do as they please but there is social pressure on females to be married before the age of twenty eight.  India has passed laws to eliminate child marriages.  Women may marry at age eighteen and men may marry at age twenty one.  Arranged marriages are still common in India but that is not the case for those Indian people who come to the United States.  Over here, they are free to select a bride/groom.  Both China and Japan are very much like the United States.  However, it is important in China to find a spouse equal in economic status and education.

Khulood was asked specifically about women not being able to drive in Saudi Arabia.  It is true, their culture and the laws prevent women from having driver’s licenses.  Khulood thought it was odd that we were so hung up on this.  She told us that each household has a driver.  This driver takes each family member anywhere they need to go.  She stressed that it is hot in Saudi Arabia and it is wonderful to leave the air conditioned shopping mall to step into the air conditioned car.  She never has to worry about or pay for parking.  It is very convenient and she told us if we lived there and had a driver we would not miss driving ourselves around. 

It was an hour rich with information and we ran out of time.  I hung around afterward to meet Khulood.  She was very entertaining and she wanted to make sure that we Americans realized that not every family in Saudi Arabia owns a camel.  There are camels but they exist mostly in the rural areas.  She is a city girl who found her husband here at Chico State.

 Saudi Arabia

I am so happy I attended this forum.  The women were so nice and open with their information.  They enjoy being here but long for home and their families.