IN THEIR OWN VOICES: SAUDI WOMEN’S EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL JOURNEYS THROUGH U.S. GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the experiences of Saudi Arabian women who pursued graduate education in the United States through the King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP). Using a narrative case study approach, it centers the voices of seven participants to examine how they navigated personal, academic, and cultural transitions across transnational contexts. Informed by transnational feminism, Islamic and Arab feminisms, and Saudi feminist perspectives, the study highlights how participants negotiated gender norms, family expectations, and societal change. Although none of the women explicitly identified as feminists or activists, their actions—pursuing advanced degrees, asserting their place in emerging professional fields, and advocating for themselves within gendered relational and social dynamics—embody context-specific expressions of feminist resistance. Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, the study identifies strategies of “stealth activism” and “patriarchal bargaining,” where participants asserted agency within the constraints of cultural and state-led institutional systems. These narratives challenge Western-centric understandings of feminism and emphasize the importance of contextually grounded, culturally responsive approaches to women's empowerment. This research contributes to the fields of international education, feminist theory, and Middle Eastern studies by amplifying the lived experiences of Saudi women and calling for more inclusive frameworks that highlight diverse expressions of agency, resistance, and transformation.