However, the move met opposition from within the ministry and from conservative Saudis,[REF] who argued the presence of women outside the home encouraged ikhtilat, and that according to Sharia, a woman's work outside the house is against her fitrah (natural state).
Saudi women are now seen developing professional careers as doctors, teachers and even business leaders, a process described by in 2007 by ABC News as "painfully slow" [REF].