Front page news: Saudi newspaper appoints first female editor-in-chief

'Saudi Gazette' appoints Somayya Jabarti, who says that a crack has been made in the glass ceiling and she "hopes it will be made into a door."

By JPOST.COM STAFF
The daily Saudi Gazette (photo credit: screenshot)
The daily Saudi Gazette
(photo credit: screenshot)
A Saudi Arabian daily newspaper, the Saudi Gazette, has made a "historic" move and appointed Somayya Jabarti as it's editor-in-chief, making her the first ever female to hold such a position.
“There’s a crack that has been made in the glass ceiling. And I’m hoping it will be made into a door,” Jabarti told Al Arabiya News of her new appointment.
“This is a first for a Saudi daily… A mold has been broken where editors-in-chief of Saudi daily newspapers are concerned,” she added.
The new editor-in-chief says she feels a great responsibility with her promotion (she was previously the deputy editor), explaining how her actions can help other women in Saudi Arabia.
“Being the first Saudi woman [newspaper editor] is going to double the responsibility... One’s actions will reflect upon my fellow Saudi women,” she said.
“The success will not be complete unless I see my peers who are also Saudi women in the media, take other roles where they are decision makers.”
Jabarti explained that the Saudi Gazette employs many females. “The majority of our reporters are women – not because we are biased and choosing women over men. There are more women who are interested in being journalists, and who are journalists.”
Saudi visa restrictions and working hours are challenges to employing more women, Jabarti explained.