JEDDAH: The Ministry of Justice, represented by the Department of Lawyers, has announced that the total number of lawyers registered with the Ministry has reached 5,496, including 332 female lawyers. The ministry’s figures show a steady increase amounting to 77 percent in the number of female lawyers in the Kingdom during the Hijri year 1439H, compared with the previous year. “The number of women officially registered with the ministry amounts to 221 lawyers during the year 1439H, compared to 83 licenses granted in 1438H. The number of male lawyers reached 877 compared to 730 the year before,” the ministry said. The Ministry of Justice noted that the Judicial Training Center recently organized a number of courses qualifying lawyers to obtain their legal license. “These courses were attended by 1,171 beneficiaries, in the vocational and training courses, including 521 female trainees,” the ministry added. Women’s increasing role in judicial affairs comes with the Minister of Justice and the President of the Supreme Judicial Council of Saudi Arabia Dr. Waleed bin Mohammed Al-Samaani’s attempt to empower Saudi women. Al-Samaani has instructed enabling Saudi women to obtain the “authentication license” which grants them the power to perform some of the tasks of notaries. As part of the government’s Vision 2030 goal to raise women’s participation in the workforce, new job opportunities have become increasingly available to females.