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Dr. Faiza Al-Saaida, an instructor in International Research and Development at OSU, came to the campus from her home country of Yemen in the 1980's. Wendy Vollmer Barometer Staff Photographer [Click to enlarge]

A lifelong passion for education is what took Dr. Faiza Al-Saaidi from her home country of Yemen to the campus of Oregon State.

In the 1980s Dr. Al-Saaidi and her husband left Yemen for Corvallis where they both enrolled as students at OSU. Al-Saaidi pursued her masters degree in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on English language and American literature.

In 1989 she returned to Yemen and began teaching at the University of Sanaa. While teaching in Yemen, Al-Saaidi noticed that the struggling economy and a high illiteracy rate motivated students to work extra hard to achieve success. "Students take what they can get from very limited opportunities. They're hungry for education. That's the only way to get a better life," she said.

In 1997 Al-Saaidi decided to return to Corvallis to pursue a doctorate degree in adult education. After she earned her degree, Al-Saaidi was asked to teach a course about women from around the world. Since then she has become a full time professor, teaching several courses in the Women Studies department as well as Arabic, a new option for Oregon State students seeking to learn a foreign language.

Al-Saaidi is happy to offer her knowledge to students. Teaching courses on feminism in Muslim societies and international women allows her to offer a unique perspective and personal experience.

"We are not just one group. There are many groups of Muslim women from many different cultures and backgrounds," she said.

While some in Yemen may face challenges because they are female, Al-Saaidi said she never experienced any discrimination herself. "Gender inequality exists everywhere," she said, noting that some families may not be as supportive of women as her own was. "My family was very encouraging and supportive. Education has always been a serious thing for me."

As a whole, women in her home country are making progress, Al-Saaidi said. "Yemen was the first place on the Arabian Peninsula to have suffrage rights for women," she said. Many women in Yemen have places in government, she added, including the minister of human rights, two members of parliament, and many deputy ministers in parliament.

"There are many historical queens and female Muslim scholars that add to a positive view of women," she added.

According to Al-Saaidi, the experiences of Yemeni women over time may have varied depending on where in the country they lived. Prior to 1990 Yemen's northern and southern regions were separated. In the former south, for example, the Marxist-oriented government passed what was known as the Family Law, which gave more rights to women and allowed for females to be appointed to judgeship. However, the former north had no such law.

The difference between the two parts of Yemen was striking to Al-Saaidi when she left home for undergraduate study at the University of Sanaa. Born in the south, which attempted unsuccessfully to secede in 1994, Al-Saaidi's school was located in the capital city of Sanaa in the north.

"It felt like a different country," she said

Since she receiving her doctorate degree from Oregon State University, Al-Saaidi has not been back to Yemen. She currently has no plans to return for good, but a future visit is likely.

"I'm enjoying what I'm doing now and I feel welcome in the classroom," she said. "I really have a passion for education."

Dan Traylor is an international affairs reporter for The Daily Barometer. He can be reached at baro.news@studentmedia.orst. edu or 737-6376.

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