Masculinity in Saudi Arabia Where we are and where we go from here
Dr.Maha MohammedNahshal

Abstract
Vision 2030 was introduced in 2016, with one of its aims being to empower Saudi women. Consequently, it has ushered in a Golden Age for Saudi women and there has been a wave ofcultural change,particularly with traditional gender dynamics. To shed light on this subject, this study was conducted to determine how masculinity is perceived in Saudi Arabia and how it is changing. This qualitative research involved interviewing 12 educated female participants regarding the role women themselvesplay(ed) in creating masculinity, the role of society in encouraging masculinity, and how the empowerment of women is affecting the traditional notions of masculinity.The findings indicate that whileissues of patriarchy and orthodox masculinity still persist in Saudi Arabia (in part due to Saudi women’s own constructs regarding gender), Saudi female empowerment is slowly changing and challenging status quo to the extent that there is now a drive towards true equality.

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