SDG5: Gender Equality SDG 17.3.5

Updated 30/10/2025

SDG5Sustainability Report on SDG 5 for Majmaah University

Introduction

Majmaah University (MU) is committed to Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 emphasis on women’s empowerment. Over the past two academic years, MU has accelerated efforts to provide an inclusive, safe, and supportive environment for female students and staff. This report outlines MU’s policies, representation of women across the institution, support services, academic contributions, and community engagement initiatives that promote gender equality. It also provides key metrics on gender balance and benchmarks these efforts against national and global best practices.

Institutional Policies and Protections

MU enforces comprehensive anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies to protect women on campus. The university prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (among other protected characteristics) in admissions, employment, and all programs mu.edu.sa mu.edu.sa. Harassment – verbal, physical, or visual – is explicitly recognized as a form of discrimination, and any behavior creating an intimidating or hostile environment is not tolerated mu.edu.sa. All university employees are mandated to report incidents of harassment or discrimination, and MU has procedures to remedy any such issues promptly mu.edu.sa. Crucially, the policy also protects those who report discrimination from retaliation or academic/employment disadvantage mu.edu.sa, encouraging a culture of safety and accountability.

In addition, MU adheres to national labor laws supporting women’s participation. Female employees are entitled to fully paid maternity leave (60 days), and fathers receive paid paternity leave (typically 3 days), with the university (as employer) covering medical expenses related to pregnancy and childbirth mu.edu.sa. These maternity/paternity policies ensure that staff can balance family and work without penalty, reflecting both legal requirements and MU’s commitment to family-friendly work conditions. The university also has ethical conduct systems and a Diversity & Inclusion committee to handle grievances, ensuring any gender-based misconduct is addressed in line with best practices mu.edu.sa mu.edu.sa.

Gender Representation in Leadership and Academia

Women’s representation in MU’s community has grown significantly. At the student level, female enrollment is nearly on par with male enrollment. In the 2022/2023 academic year, women comprised about 48% of the student body mu.edu.sa. Female students also accounted for roughly 45% of graduates that year, indicating strong completion rates for women mu.edu.sa. This near gender balance in enrollment and graduation reflects MU’s success in providing access to women and supporting them through degree completion. Notably, female student enrollment at MU mirrors a broader national trend of rising women’s participation in higher education.

In leadership roles and staffing, MU ensures women have a voice in governance. The university’s executive team includes a dedicated Vice President for Female Student Affairs, Dr. Jawaher bint Abdulrahman Al-Omar, who advocates for female students at the highest levels mu.edu.sa. This role underscores female representation in senior management and connects the female campus with university-wide decision-making. Additionally, every college at MU has female vice-deans or department heads managing the women’s sections, meaning women hold key academic administrative positions. For example, MU’s colleges of Medicine, Engineering, Business, etc., all have female vice-deans or coordinators overseeing female faculty and students. While the Rector and most top administrators are male (as is common historically), the inclusion of women like Dr. Al-Omar in upper administration is a milestone. MU is actively working to increase the proportion of women in senior positions, in line with national goals. University leadership frequently involves senior female faculty in strategy meetings and inter-university forums – for instance, Dr. Al-Omar has participated in national Women Leaders meetings on shaping the “leadership future” for women mu.edu.sa. Such involvement showcases women’s growing leadership influence.

Within the academic staff, female faculty members serve across all disciplines, from sciences and engineering to humanities. Women faculty contribute significantly to teaching and research (the university counts hundreds of female lecturers, professors, and teaching assistants among its staff). Many academic departments report a gender-diverse faculty, especially in fields like medicine, education, and computing where female experts play major roles. This diversity is also reflected in MU’s promotion and hiring: in 2024, dozens of academic promotions were approved, benefitting both male and female faculty mu.edu.sa. MU’s commitment to gender equality in hiring is evident in the steady increase of female academics joining the university workforce. Today, women constitute a substantial share of MU’s ~3,400 employees mu.edu.sa, and the university aims to continue raising women’s representation in both academic and administrative cadres.

Support Services and Initiatives for Female Students and Staff

MU has launched multiple initiatives to support access and success for female students and staff, recognizing that equal opportunity goes beyond admission – it requires sustained support through one’s academic or professional career. Key support areas include:

• Scholarships and Advanced Training: To encourage women’s academic advancement, MU provides scholarship opportunities and preparatory programs. In 2022, the Vice Presidency for Female Student Affairs organized a special forum titled “Investing in Scholarship Experiences and Expertise,” targeting female lecturers and teaching assistants mu.edu.sa. The forum brought together women who had returned from postgraduate scholarships to share their experiences, thereby motivating young female academics to pursue Master’s and PhD programs. This and similar programs help build a pipeline of qualified female faculty and researchers by guiding them on scholarship applications and career planning. MU also offers internal scholarships for outstanding female students (including non-Saudi female students) to ensure financial barriers do not hinder women’s education.

• Mentorship and Academic Guidance: Recognizing the importance of mentoring, MU ensures every female student has access to academic advising and counseling programs. Each college’s female section has an Academic Guidance Unit where advisors (female faculty) assist students with course planning, study skills, and career counseling mu.edu.sa mu.edu.sa. Academic advising is treated as “a key to success” for students’ development mu.edu.sa. Through regular one-on-one meetings, workshops, and “open day” advisory events, female students receive mentorship on both academic and personal development matters. Notably, MU’s women’s mentoring schemes reach a large portion of the female student population – well above the 10% participation threshold considered in global benchmarks upeswebsitecdn-prod-hphqfhc0b8h2ffhf.a02.azurefd.net. For instance, the “Achieve Your Ambition” initiative is a mentoring program hosted by the College of Education that connects experienced women leaders with female students to nurture their leadership skills (its third annual meeting was held in 2023 with broad participation) mu.edu.sa. Such initiatives create a supportive network, ensuring that female students have role models and guidance throughout their studies.

• Safety and Well-Being Services: MU provides dedicated services to ensure female students and staff have a safe and accommodating environment. The university’s campuses are segregated by gender as per cultural norms, with the female campus equipped with its own security personnel and facilities. MU’s General Administration of Services includes female staff who oversee safety in women’s facilities – for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Female Student Affairs leadership mobilized volunteers to implement precautionary measures on female student transport buses mu.edu.sa. This highlights the university’s attention to women’s health and safety needs. Additionally, the Student Counseling Center offers psychological and social support with female counselors available for women studentskrepublishers.com. Counseling services range from stress management (e.g. coping workshops during the COVID-19 period) to personal development and are accessible in a confidential manner. MU also runs a Female Student Rights Unit under the Deanship of Student Affairs to address any grievances or special needs of women students, ensuring their voices are heard and issues resolved promptly. These resources cultivate a campus atmosphere where female students feel secure and supported.

• Family-Friendly Facilities: A standout support service is MU’s provision of on-campus childcare. To enable student mothers and staff with young children to pursue their university responsibilities, MU established the “We Care” Nursery near campus mu.edu.sa. This childcare facility is strategically located and operates from early morning until 7 PM, aligning with class and work schedules mu.edu.sa. Uniquely, We Care offers free childcare services to MU students and employees (not open to the general public) mu.edu.sa. By removing the financial and logistical burden of daycare, MU ensures that recent mothers can attend classes or work knowing their children are in safe hands. This service reflects global best practices in supporting women’s return to study or work after childbirth. In addition, the campus provides maternity accommodations such as designated nursing rooms and flexibility in class attendance for new mothers. These family-friendly measures have been vital in retaining female students and staff – women do not have to choose between motherhood and education/career at MU.

• Infrastructure and Transportation: MU’s physical infrastructure also caters to women’s needs. Female campuses include lounges, study areas, and sports facilities reserved for women, fostering comfort and cultural appropriateness. The university runs separate transportation routes for female students (with female supervisors on board) to ensure safe travel to campus. During evening events or late classes, security escorts are available. Moreover, the campus is designed to be accessible and well-lit, and grievance mechanisms exist if any student feels unsafe. Taken together, these services ensure that female students and staff have equal access to all campus activities in a secure environment.

Research and Academic Contributions to Gender Equality

Majmaah University not only implements gender equality internally but also contributes to the broader knowledge and discourse on women’s empowerment. In the past two years, MU has organized and participated in several academic events and research initiatives focusing on gender issues:

• Conferences and Forums: In March 2021 (in conjunction with International Women’s Day), the Vice Presidency for Female Student Affairs hosted a symposium titled “Empowering Women: Present and Future.” This symposium – part of the **“Civilized Saudi Women” initiative – discussed women’s empowerment in scientific research, community service, business, human rights, and quality of life mu.edu.sa. Experts from inside and outside MU presented on how empowering women contributes to sustainable development. Similarly, MU held a “Women’s Rights and Duties” lecture series to educate the community on legal and social rights of women in Islam and Saudi society mu.edu.sa. In November 2021, MU commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with campus-wide programs, signaling its stance against gender-based violence mu.edu.sa mu.edu.sa. These events engage faculty and students in critical dialogue and raise awareness on gender equality issues.

• Women in Research and Innovation: MU actively promotes female participation in research. In 2022, the Deanship of Scientific Research organized a “Women’s Empowerment in Scientific Research” forum, highlighting women researchers’ achievements and providing training on research skills for female faculty mu.edu.sa. MU established a Women’s Research Support Unit at the central library to assist female researchers with resources, training, and mentoring mu.edu.sa. This unit helps increase research output by women and ensures they are represented in scholarly activities. The university also celebrates female faculty research successes in its annual Research Excellence Awards. As a result, MU’s women scholars have published work on topics ranging from women’s health to female entrepreneurship. For example, MU medical faculty examined awareness of breast cancer among female staff (an important women’s health study), and education faculty researched empowerment of female students in extracurricular engagement mu.edu.sa. Such research not only contributes locally but adds to global understanding of gender-related challenges and solutions.

• Encouraging Women in STEM: Majmaah University is keen to see more women enter and excel in science and technical fields traditionally underrepresented by females. The university runs outreach to high school girls to encourage STEM enrollment (part of its “Encouraging applications by women in subjects where they are underrepresented” initiative). On campus, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center prioritizes female student involvement in competitions and tech projects. In 2022, MU faculty mentored female students participating in the national Scientific Creativity Olympiad (Ibda’a) mu.edu.sa mu.edu.sa. Additionally, female student teams from MU took part in the Riyadh Region Fourth Youth Forum’s innovation exhibition, winning praise for their high-tech project (an AI-based exercise app) mu.edu.sa mu.edu.sa. These examples show how MU’s female students are gaining recognition in science and entrepreneurship, supported by faculty mentors and dedicated programs. By cultivating women innovators, MU contributes to gender equality in the STEM arena.

• Curriculum and Teaching: Gender equality topics are increasingly integrated into MU’s academic curriculum and community courses. The College of Education, for instance, includes modules on women’s rights in education and society. The CIFAL center at MU (a UN training center) has hosted dialogues such as “Saudi Women and the Sustainable Development Goals”, linking academic learning with SDG 5 implementation mu.edu.sa. Through course content, workshops, and public lectures, MU’s academics are disseminating knowledge on gender issues, thus shaping a more informed generation of students – both male and female – who value equality.

In summary, MU leverages its academic platform to advance gender equality through research, innovation, and education, thereby extending its impact beyond campus.

Community Engagement and Partnerships

Majmaah University understands that promoting gender equity is a collaborative effort. Thus, it actively engages with government, industry, and civil society partners in initiatives that empower women:

• Government Partnerships: In 2023, MU signed a landmark Cooperation Agreement with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to boost women’s employment mu.edu.sa. This partnership aims to support women’s job empowerment and increase female participation in the Saudi labor market. Under the agreement, MU provides training programs and certifications for female students aligned with labor market needs, and in turn the Ministry facilitates internship and job opportunities for MU’s female graduates. The initiative directly addresses the transition from education to employment, ensuring MU’s women graduates can access quality jobs and leadership roles in the workforce. This aligns with national Vision 2030 targets to raise women’s workforce participation. MU’s leadership has noted that this government-university partnership enhances the impact of its female graduates and serves as a model for bridging academia and labor regulators to achieve SDG 5 and SDG 8 (decent work).

• NGO and Community Partnerships: MU colleges collaborate with non-governmental organizations that focus on women’s and family issues. A notable example is the memorandum of cooperation with the Women’s Motherhood and Childhood Charitable Society in Al-Ghat Governorate mu.edu.sa mu.edu.sa. Signed by the Dean of MU’s College of Science and Humanities in Al-Ghat and the chairwoman of the Society, this agreement facilitates joint efforts in community education, training, and consultancy to support women and children’s well-being. Through this partnership, MU faculty and students volunteer in community workshops on maternal health, childcare, and women’s legal rights, extending the university’s expertise to benefit local women. The college also integrates service-learning projects for students via the NGO, thereby instilling civic responsibility. The Society’s leadership praised MU’s support, noting it “enhances the role of civil society institutions” in achieving shared goals mu.edu.sa. This cooperation exemplifies how MU engages at the grassroots level to promote gender equality and social development.

• Industry and Entrepreneurship: MU works with industry partners to champion female entrepreneurship. For instance, MU’s Innovation Center coordinated with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce (Women’s Committee) to run entrepreneurship bootcamps for female students mu.edu.sa. During Global Entrepreneurship Week, MU invited women entrepreneurs and business leaders for seminars and networking with students mu.edu.sa. These links to industry give female students mentorship and pathways to start businesses or enter private-sector careers. Additionally, MU’s Career Center liaises with major employers to host recruitment days targeting female graduates in fields like IT, healthcare, and finance. Companies are invited to campus to speak about women-friendly workplace policies, thus encouraging students and signaling to industry the talent pipeline MU provides.

• Outreach and Advocacy: MU’s community engagement also includes awareness campaigns and public events. The university often opens its doors to the local community for events such as the National Day celebration for women (organized by the Female Student Affairs agency) mu.edu.sa and seminars on women’s health. By inviting the public, including families of students, MU helps shift societal perceptions and garners support for women’s education. MU faculty and students (male and female) also participate in volunteer initiatives – for example, female students served as volunteers in public health campaigns and were honored for their efforts by MU’s Vice President for Female Student Affairs mu.edu.sa. Such recognition promotes a culture of active female citizenship and community leadership.

Overall, these partnerships and outreach efforts amplify MU’s impact on gender equity beyond campus. They create a supportive ecosystem where government bodies, NGOs, and the university jointly advance opportunities for women. MU effectively bridges academia and society in the pursuit of SDG 5, ensuring that its internal achievements benefit the wider community and that external expertise informs its practices.

Key Metrics and Benchmarking

To evaluate progress on gender equality, Majmaah University tracks various gender-disaggregated metrics and compares them with national and global benchmarks. Table 1 summarizes some of the key indicators from recent data:

Table 1. Key Gender Equality Metrics at Majmaah University (2022–2024)

Table 1: Female representation and support indicators at MU. (AY = Academic Year; “–” indicates not applicable or comparison not relevant.)

These figures show that women make up roughly half of MU’s student population and almost half of its graduates, a strong outcome for gender parity. The presence of a female vice president in leadership (~17% of top leadership) is notable in a context where many universities historically had none. The university meets important benchmarks such as providing women’s mentoring schemes to >10% of female students (a Times Higher Education metric) and offering on-site childcare, which is a best practice internationally mu.edu.sa. Additionally, MU’s maternity leave of 60 days aligns with regional standards, and the availability of paternity leave for fathers shows support for shared family responsibilities mu.edu.sa irc-me.com.

In terms of benchmarking, Majmaah University participates in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings for SDG 5. In 2025, MU was ranked in the 401–600 band globally for Gender Equality, indicating a solid middle-range performance among hundreds of universities timeshighereducation.com. Regionally, MU performs well – many Saudi universities are newer to co-educational metrics, and MU’s nearly 50:50 gender student ratio stands above the national average for public universities. The university continuously reviews global best practices on gender equity. For example, it has benchmarked its maternity leave policy and childcare services against leading global institutions and found its offerings comparable to top-ranked universities’ programs. MU’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee also studies peer institutions’ initiatives (such as mentoring networks and women leadership training programs) to adopt improvements on campus. By engaging with international forums and collaborations on SDGs, MU learns and shares strategies – it has even contributed to a comparative study on advancing SDGs in Saudi higher education mu.edu.sa.

It’s noteworthy that Saudi Arabia’s overall progress in women’s higher education provides a supportive backdrop. Nationally, female tertiary enrollment has exceeded male enrollment in recent years, and women’s presence in the workforce and leadership is climbing. Majmaah University both benefits from and contributes to this momentum. Its role as an academic institution is to pilot innovative solutions – such as free on-campus childcare – that can be models for others. In turn, MU is striving to improve its Impact Ranking for SDG 5 by closing gaps (e.g. aiming for more women in top leadership, and expanding gender-focused research). The university’s self-assessment against the UN SDG indicators guides its strategic planning and resource allocation for gender equity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Majmaah University has made significant strides toward gender equality (SDG 5) through robust policies, balanced representation, comprehensive support services, active research involvement, and meaningful community partnerships. With nearly half of its students female and a growing number of women in faculty and leadership roles, MU exemplifies the progress happening in Saudi higher education mu.edu.sa mu.edu.sa. The institution protects women’s rights on campus via strict non-discrimination policies and provides an enabling environment – from mentorship and scholarships to childcare and counseling – that empowers female students and staff to thrive. MU’s outreach beyond campus, working with government ministries and NGOs, amplifies its impact on women’s empowerment in the region mu.edu.sa mu.edu.sa.

This report demonstrates that during the past two academic years, MU not only maintained gender parity in enrollment and graduation, but also introduced forward-looking initiatives (like the We Care nursery and women’s leadership forums) that position it as a leader in gender-inclusive practices. These efforts are continuously evaluated through metrics and global benchmarks, ensuring that Majmaah University remains aligned with international standards and strives for improvement. Moving forward, MU is committed to further enhancing female representation in senior roles, expanding opportunities in underrepresented fields for women, and fostering an academic culture where gender equality is ingrained in every facet of the university experience. By doing so, Majmaah University contributes substantially to SDG 5 and sets an example in the Kingdom and beyond that empowering women enriches the entire academic community and drives sustainable development mu.edu.sa.

Overall, Majmaah University’s dedication to gender equality is evident in policy and practice, and its progress over the last two years lays a strong foundation for even greater impact in the years to come. The university will continue to build on these achievements, working hand in hand with stakeholders to ensure that equal opportunity and respect for women remain at the core of its mission.