Saudi Arabian Activist On Pairing Gender Equality And Economics

A Saudi woman holding a child checks out lingerie at a store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2009, when only men were allowed to sell underwear in almost all stores in the ultraconservative kingdom.
A Saudi woman holding a child checks out lingerie at a store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2009, when only men were allowed to sell underwear in almost all stores in the ultraconservative kingdom. Hassan Ammar / AP Photo
A Saudi woman holding a child checks out lingerie at a store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2009, when only men were allowed to sell underwear in almost all stores in the ultraconservative kingdom.
A Saudi woman holding a child checks out lingerie at a store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2009, when only men were allowed to sell underwear in almost all stores in the ultraconservative kingdom. Hassan Ammar / AP Photo

Saudi Arabian Activist On Pairing Gender Equality And Economics

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Until recently, Saudi Arabian law dictated that only Saudi men were allowed to work in businesses like lingerie shops. Women complained that it was humiliating to shop for such personal items in the presence of men.

Activist and financial advisor Reem Asaad was at the helm of a “lingerie movement” that resulted in reforms allowing women to work in such businesses. Asaad joins us to talk about how she developed the campaign, and what’s ahead for Saudi women in business.