"[73], Retaliation against women's rights activism has some precedent. Conservative clerics have successfully rebuffed attempts to outlaw child marriage. "[43], The Saudi government has approved international and domestic declarations regarding women's rights, and insists that there is no law of male guardianship. [229], Women, as well as men, may be subject to harassment by the country's religious police, the mutaween, in some cases including arbitrary arrest and physical punishments. Loujain is also reportedly tortured by the prison authorities in the solitary confinement. The cards were issued to the mahram, not the women, and explained by the government as a way to fight forgery and fraud. [266][267][268] The New York Times writes, "Saudi women are denied many of the same rights that 'Blacks' and 'Coloreds' were denied in apartheid South Africa and yet the kingdom still belongs to the very same international community that kicked Pretoria out of its club. [101] Journalist Sabria Jawhar complains that Western readers of her blog on The Huffington Post are obsessed with her veil. About a year after the protest, they returned to work and recovered their passports, but they were kept under surveillance and passed over for promotions. 'I can't believe I'm driving in Saudi Arabia' Five thing Saudi women still can't do [132][219], Female genital cutting is reported as rare, possibly occurring among minorities such as African immigrants. Women's Rights in the Arab World: Are Saudi Women Next? We can criticise only our own. [150] However, out of necessity, most women leave the house alone and often have contact with unrelated men to shop or conduct business. Namus is a common feature of many different patriarchal societies. According to his September 2011 announcement, women can now be appointed to the Consultative Assembly. They argue that political Islam is misogynist, and the desire of Western liberals to tolerate Islam blinds them to women's rights violations. We will also make sure that the [woman's] job will not interfere with her work at home with her family, or with her eternal duty of raising her children...[110], A woman's work must also be deemed suitable for the female physique and mentality. [113] This was followed by similar decrees for shops and shop departments specializing in other products for women, such as cosmetics, abayas and wedding dresses. The system is said to emanate from social conventions, including the importance of protecting women, and from religious precepts on travel and marriage, although these requirements were arguably confined to particular situations. For many women, the dress code is a part of the right to modesty that Islam guarantees women. The changes which are taking place are unmistakable, and we have finally started opening up. [269] In contrast, political commentator Daniel Pipes, sees Saudi gender apartheid as tempered by other practices, such as allowing women to attend school and work.[63][270][271][272]. [172], In September 2011, a woman from Jeddah was sentenced to ten lashes by whip for driving a car. Traditionally, women have been excluded from studying engineering, pharmacy, architecture, and law. Therefore, you are a spoiled and self-indulged man. Where it is allowed, they must use a separate entrance and sit in a back section reserved for women;[131] however, the bus companies with the widest coverage in Riyadh and Jeddah do not allow women at all. The law is the first of … Fashionable abaya come in colors other than black, and may be decorated with patterns and glitter. My sister is a woman. As real estate investor Loulwa al-Saidan complained, For me to go to any government agency or to the court to buy or sell property, as a woman I am obligated to bring two men as witnesses to testify to my identity, and four male witnesses to testify that the first two are credible witnesses, and actually know me. Critics say the reform was far too slow, and often more symbolic than substantive. She has a UAE licence but the Saudi police still arrested her. [23] Moreover, new laws were issued on 1 August 2019, granting women the right to register a divorce or a marriage and apply for official documents without requiring their guardian's permission. [91], In 2007, a young woman was murdered by her father for chatting with a man on Facebook. Saudi Arabia scored 70.6 out of 100 in this year’s World Bank report on Women, Business and the Law, placing it first among Gulf Cooperation Council and second in … Saudi Arabia changed its guardianship laws, but activists who fought them remain imprisoned. [129] The proportion of Saudi women graduating from universities is higher than in Western countries. Too much makeup can also land you in trouble with the authorities. [261], In January 2019, the Saudi justice ministry approved a new law that would not allow men to secretly divorce their wives without informing them. Here are the Rules for working Women in Saudi Arabia: Suitable place must be provided for Women employees to perform prayers and take rest in companies Women Employees who are working in industrial areas should be working only till 6 PM Women should be entitles to safe and decent clothing in production line [138], In June 2012, the Saudi Arabian Embassy in London announced that female athletes would compete in the Olympics in 2012 in London, England, for the first time. 89 Shares View this post on Instagram. [30], In 2020, Saudi Arabia was ranked as a top reformer on women’s rights at work. Still on decency, women are not allowed to try on new clothes while shopping. Saudi Arabia granted women the right to drive one year ago, a historic move that cracked open a window to new freedoms for women who have long lived under repressive laws… I n a historic move last week, Saudi Arabia passed a legal ban on domestic violence and other form of abuse against women. Following the strict religious rules that have governed the country for decades, and in a bid to protect these rules, Saudi Arabia had been closed off to tourists for the longest time. "We Saudi women are treated like slaves," the … [39][40][101], Public education in Saudi Arabia is sex-segregated at all levels, and in general females and males do not attend the same school. [249], Saudis frequently debate how to bring about change. Misconceptions around women visitors in Saudi Arabia. 20 March, 2018 by Najla Moussa. [254], In 2013 the Saudi government sanctioned sports for girls in private schools for the first time. "People say things are changing for women because they are comparing it to before, when things were below zero. Women were previously forbidden from voting in all elections or being elected to any political office, but in 2011 King Abdullah let women vote in the 2015 local elections and be appointed to the Consultative Assembly. [101] Journalist Sabria Jawhar dismisses Huwaider as a show-off: "The problem with some Saudi activists is that they want to make wholesale changes that are contrary to Islam, which requires a mahram for traveling women. Saudi Arabian feminist activist Manal al-Sharif commented that "[t]his is technology used to serve backwardness in order to keep women imprisoned."[65]. [155], Sameera Aziz is the first Saudi media personality who aimed to make a Bollywood film after opening her production house in Bollywood. If one wonders why great numbers of Saudi women don't join al-Huwaider it's because they are asked to defy Islam. The World Economic Forum's 2016 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Saudi Arabia 141 out of 144 countries for gender parity,[4] down from 134 out of 145 in 2015. She was highly appreciated by progressive Saudi minds and known as the first Saudi director in Bollywood. [76] Swedish foreign minister Margot Wallström said that Saudi Arabia "ought to be" there "to learn something about women". [36][41][61][62][63][64], In 2012, the Saudi Arabian government implemented a new policy to help with enforcement on the traveling restrictions for women. At the higher levels, males have better research facilities. [192] Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi was the first woman to declared an elected female politician in the country. Only business visas were allowed, which were also very difficult to find. Saudi women who were adults before 1979 recall driving, inviting non-mahram (unrelated) men into their homes (with the door open), and being in public without an abaya (full-body covering) or niqab (veil). In religious sites, it is still a requirement to wear an abaya over normal clothes. [203] In April 2010, a new, optional ID card for women was issued which allows them to travel in countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Al-Ghamdi said that hadith, the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, makes no references to gender segregation, and mixing is therefore permitted under Sharia. Like many other Muslim-majority countries, Saudi Arabia bases its personal law system on Islamic law. But progress is incredibly slow, and lags far behind the rest of the world. [75] Saudi interlocutors told a UN investigator that international agreements carry little to no weight in Saudi courts. [102] She was reporting as a news anchor from London for the Al Ekhbariya channel. Another misconception surrounding women tourists is that they are not allowed to mingle with unrelated men in public. Norah Al-Faiz, the first female cabinet member, will not appear without her veil, appear on television without permission, or talk to male colleagues except by videoconferencing. It is also prohibited to eat, drink or smoke in public especially in the holy month of Ramadan. [131][132], This has changed slightly in recent years as nearly 60% of all Saudi university students are female. Vehicle for hire has improved mobility for women and also promoted employment participation among them with its improved transport flexibility. [24][25], In the G20 meeting of 2019, Saudi Arabia participated in the women empowerment initiative that aims at reducing the pay gap between male and female as well as supporting women's participation in small business. This is about to change as the King of Saudi Arabia has announced that women would be allowed to vote in the next elections. But unlike most other countries, Saudi Arabia has no written family law. Thousands of Saudi women took to social media to celebrate royal decrees on Friday that allow women above 21 to travel without permission as of the end of August. It also negatively affects their health as they are at greater risk of dying from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Saudi Arabia e-Visa Travel Authorization Agency is not affiliated with Saudi Arabia Government, or any other Saudi authority. Many historians and Islamic scholars hold that the custom, if not requirement, of the veil predates Islam in parts of the region. [196] In 2013, Saudi Arabia registered its first female trainee lawyer, Arwa al-Hujaili. She calls the niqab "trivial":[39][40]. [174] The whipping was the first time a legal punishment had been handed down. The mutaween enforced the dress code more aggressively. Among the factors that define rights for women in Saudi Arabia are government laws, the Hanbali and Wahhabi schools of Sunni Islam, and traditional customs of the Arabian Peninsula. Women cannot confer citizenship to children born to a non-Saudi Arabian father. Saudi Law Granted Women New Freedoms. Fear for Safety", On Saudi Arabia: Its People, past, Religion, Fault Lines and Future, "Saudi judge refuses to annul 8-year-old's marriage", "Saudis file first-ever petition to end male guardianship", "Saudi Tribal Customs, Not Islam, Responsible for Male Guardianship Abuses", "Saudi Arabia: Where Fathers Rule and Courts Oblige", "Saudi Arabia: Women's Rights Promises Broken", "Saudi Arabia elected to UN women's rights commission", "Swedish FM: "Saudi Arabia can learn about women" on U.N. commission – Margot Wallström defends misogynists' election", "Women in Saudi Arabia will be able to travel and study without needing a man's permission", "Saudi Arabia launches mobile app to track women's movements", "American Woman, Divorced From Saudi Husband, Is Trapped in Saudi Arabia", "Saudis Plan to Ease Travel Restrictions on Women", "Saudi Arabia tried to justify its app that lets men control where women travel amid a firestorm of criticism", "A US Senator has demanded that Apple and Google remove a Saudi Arabian government app that allows men 'abhorrent' control over women's lives", "Apple CEO Tim Cook promises to investigate the Saudi app branded 'abhorrent' for allowing men to track women", "Google joins Apple in probing Saudi app that lets men control where women travel, as pressure piles on the tech giants to kill the service", "Google, siding with Saudi Arabia, refuses to remove widely-criticized government app which lets men track women and control their travel", "Apple and Google accused of helping 'enforce gender apartheid' by hosting Saudi government app that tracks women and stops them leaving the country", "What to Know About Saudi Arabia's 'Woman-Tracking' App", "Saudi woman killed for chatting on Facebook", "The Question of Hijab: Suppression Or Liberation? I don't think the way is paved. How to check for Saudi Arabia Visa Validity. [213], There are no laws defining the minimum age for marriage in Saudi Arabia. For example, Sheikh Ahmad Qassim Al-Ghamdi, chief of the Mecca region's Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice or the mutaween (religious police), has said prohibiting ikhtilat (gender mixing) has no basis in Sharia. [11] [233], According to Human Rights Watch, one of the rapists filmed the assault with his mobile phone but the judges refused to allow it as evidence. [34][47][100][101], In contrast, the 11 September 2001 attacks against the United States precipitated a reaction against ultra-conservative Islamic sentiment; fifteen of the nineteen hijackers in the September 11 attacks came from Saudi Arabia. [231] The Ministry of Justice defended the sentence, saying she committed adultery and "provoked the attack" because she was "indecently dressed. [184], To support working women, the Saudi government has launched ‘Wusool’ program that provides transportation services to the Saudi working ladies. [179], In a report by Amnesty International France, women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia bring to light their continued repression inside the kingdom despite winning the right to drive. The decrees came at "the height of the Arab Spring" and were "widely interpreted" by activists as an attempt to preempt "pro-democracy protests. The rights group in their statement urged ASO to use their decision to denounce persecution of women rights in the nation. [265], Western critics often compare the situation of Saudi women to a system of apartheid, analogous to South Africa's treatment of non-whites during South Africa's apartheid era. In 2002, some school girls were burned to death because religious policemen did not allow them to flee the building as they did not wear a hijab. 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