An Analysis of Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is known for hosting the world’s largest camel festival, having the biggest modern olive plantation and having the world’s largest sand area known as the Rub al-khali (Empty Quarter) which covers the Southern part of the country. It is the third largest country entirely in Asia where you can enjoy a roaring campfire underneath the desert skies. It is a fascinating and enigmatic country with a captivating history. Yet, Saudi Arabia is not known for its progressive women’s rights. Although the country has shaped and evolved along with the times, the battle for gender equality is still not yet won.
In recent years there has been progress when looking at women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. For example, in 2013, women were given their own ID cards. Previously, many women had been put as a dependent on their father’s and husband’s cards. This made it difficult for many women, as their husband or father would have to verify their identity when it came to major transactions. As much as many women saw this change as a symbol of freedom and agency, it still is common practice that their male counterparts verify their identification. Also, a significant change to many Saudi women’s lives came in the form of the right to drive in 2018. This was recognised as a positive move towards greater gender equality in Saudi Arabia, and was part of the Crown Prince’s plan to boost the economy. The Crown Prince plans to bring more women into the world of work. 23 per cent of Saudi women aged 15 or older have successfully entered the workforce according to the United Nations Development Program 2018 Human Development Reports. Salam, the Crown Prince, plans to increase these statistics by 2030.
However, much like the en passant move in chess, progress has been made but there remains an important barrier for many Saudi women. The barrier which I refer to is the system of male guardianship in Saudi Arabia. Under Sharia law, a woman is required to have a male guardian (normally a husband, brother, uncle or son) who has the power to make important legal, economic and social decisions on her behalf. For example, a woman must get permission from her male guardian to marry, to open a bank account, conduct official business or to travel. Women are unable to leave the house without a male accompanying them and in some cases may face severe oppression, abuse or domestic violence by their guardian.
In 2016, some female activists such as Aziza al-Yousef, Loujain al- Hathloul and Eman al Nafjan managed to get 14,000 people to sign a petition which demanded that the guardianship should be scrapped in its entirety. Around 2500 sent telegrams to the Crown Prince voicing their unhappiness with this system that has been embedded in Saudi Arabian culture for many centuries. There were numerous hashtags on Twitter like #I am my own guardian and #stop enslaving Saudi women. Human Rights Watch responded to these hashtags saying that this resistance was ‘incredible and unprecedented’. However, not everyone was happy with this surge of social activism. The grand mufti known as Abdulaziz Al Sheikh referred to the petition as a ‘crime against the religion of Islam and an existential threat to Saudi society’. Progress did come in the form of King Salam issuing a decree letting women access government services without being made to obtain a male guardian’s approval. Moreover, the Crown Prince allowed women to access public services without a male guardian’s approval and many activists were pleased and impressed by his decision making. Yet, it must be noted that one of the women involved with the afore-mentioned petition, Loujain al Hathloul, was accused of treason and collusion with foreign governments. Freedom of speech is very controlled in Saudi Arabia - it is one of the five countries that detains the highest number of journalists in the world.
In recent years, there has been international pressure for Saudi Arabia to get rid of the male guardianship system. For example, in March 2019 the United Nations Human rights council in Geneva urged Saudi authorities to abolish it and the Saudi authorities accepted this recommendation. In addition, earlier this year, 36 countries including all 28 members of the European Union signed a statement frowning upon Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Recently, amendments have been made to Sharia law and Saudi women will soon get passports to travel independently. They are also currently allowed to live alone without the necessary approval of their male guardian. As the system is based on strict social norms and codes, however, full abolishment of male guardianship has still not been achieved. The amendments will make a significant difference to the lives of numerous Saudi women, yet there are many obstacles that unfortunately still prevail.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the wider St. Andrews Foreign Affairs Review team.
Image courtesy of James Duncan Davidson via Wikimedia, ©2020, some rights reserved.
