Empowerment of Saudi Women in Secondary School English Language Books: An Analytical Study

Abstract

The current research aimed to investigate the degree to which women’s empowerment dimensions (social, economic, political, and women’s issues) are addressed through English language books in Saudi secondary education. It raised a question on the extent to which women’s empowerment dimensions are addressed in secondary English language books. The authors followed the descriptive analytical research design. The research utilized a checklist of (19) indicators describing women’s empowerment dimensions (social, economic, political, and women’s issues). The checklist was designed to measure women’s empowerment dimensions in the content and activities in English language books by inferring them from the units of analysis considered in the current research – paragraphs and pictures. Results showed that in the first year of secondary school, political empowerment was ranked first, whereas economic empowerment was ranked last. Additionally, in the second year, women’s issues were ranked first, followed by political empowerment, then economic empowerment was ranked last. In the third year, social empowerment came in the first rank meanwhile political empowerment came in the last rank. The study concluded a need to re-evaluate and update the curricula and textbooks regarding women in line with the national goals for women. It is a significant study because it addresses empowering Saudi women in EFL textbooks. It recommends including basic issues, especially woman-related ones, in EFL textbooks.