For the second MDG interview project, we researched country profiles to get a sense of the developmental indicators of different countries and how they stood on a variety of social, economic, and political outcomes. The purpose of this project was to choose and investigate one country and to examine it in relation to a Millennium Development Goal. I chose to study gender and education in Saudi Arabia. I also had to think of five questions that related to gender equality and education and to interview a Depaul student, Shahad, who grew up in Saudi Arabia and went to primary and secondary school there. I am most proud of the way that I took the interview questions and answers and combined them into an essay about Shahad’s experiences with education in Saudi Arabia.

I learned from Shahad that in Saudi Arabia males generally get a better education than females. She told me that from an early age males and females are in different classes and that there is more learning for males than for females. Also, in secondary school, males are encouraged to go into higher paying fields, such as engineering, while girls are encouraged to go into lower paying areas. She also said that as long as the system discriminates against women, girls find creative ways to get better education. She gave as examples the possibility for secondary student girls to take online classes, international courses, or become home schooled. This means that although there is a lot of gender inequality in education in Saudi Arabia, things may be improving. Shahad mentioned that Saudi Arabia of building more schools at lower levels so that more students can have access to primary education. She also said that Saudi Arabia has more public and private schools than any other Arabic country.  
Below my reflection is my interview with Shahad and a website about education in Saudi Arabia