AUSTIN, Texas — Such is the nature of SXSW that one can wander among thousands of software developers and venture capitalists, not to mention corporate shills, straight into a keynote speech on feminism by a Saudi Arabian princess.
Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al-Saud drew a crowd of several thousand people to a Saturday talk at SXSW Interactive, detailing her efforts to empower women in her country, where she founded luxury handbag brand Baraboux and private-equity firm Reemiyah.
Princess Reema, as she is called, said she has hired many women to work at Harvey Nichols, the luxury department store she runs, something that was unheard of until just a few years ago, when laws in the country began to somewhat modernize.
“Six years ago,” she said, “the whole staff was male.”
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She said women who want to work face many challenges, including opposition from people who believe they should stay home. She showed pictures of women working in her store, covered almost entirely, except for their eyes. She said she respects the decision women make to dress according to Saudi tradition, “as long as it’s a choice” for religious reasons, for example.
She said many Saudi women, like herself, choose a modern if modest fashion style. At SXSW, Princess Reema wore stylish but somewhat modest western-style clothes, including a scarf that covered her head but not her face. She told the audience she wears the head scarf on formal occasions.
She said she doesn’t judge women who choose to dress more conservatively.
“I try to judge a woman based on her capability,” she said, referring to women working in her store. “These women actually get up in the morning and come to work. It’s very challenging.”
Transportation is a big obstacle, as Saudi Arabia bans women from driving — though some women in recent years have defied the custom. Reema said this has made it hard for women to get to work on time, so her store has offered stipends to pay for transportation.
Princess Reema, named the most creative person of 2014 by Fast Company, has also led efforts to raise awareness among Saudi women about the importance of screening for breast cancer. She said Saudi culture makes it difficult for many women to talk about things like breast self-examination, and this can lead to late-stage diagnoses.
She now aims to organize a gathering of at least 10,000 women for an event built around health and fitness. She said it would be the largest all-woman meeting ever in Saudi Arabia, and she said she recognizes that some conservative groups oppose her efforts.
“In every community you’ve got people that approve of things and disapprove of things,” she said. “If you stand still, you give them the power to push you down. But if you keep walking, they have to follow you.”
Princess Reema grew up in Washington D.C., where her father, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, served as Saudi ambassador to the U.S. She said that even though Saudi culture poses challenges for women and that she loved her life in the U.S., she has learned not to compare the two. She also loves many things about her native Saudi Arabia, she said.
“Don’t compare,” she said when asked to name the best advice she has ever gotten. “You will always find something that will make you miserable.”