Yes, girls might be able to play sport now, but the limitations placed on women in Saudi Arabia are still staggering
Saudi Arabia has long been one of the first countries to come to mind when the issue of women’s rights (or lack thereof) is raised. But, in a somewhat prudent move, the nation’s comparatively liberal king, King Abudallah, is considering lifting the ban on girls to participate in sport. Not surprisingly, the country’s conservative population is opposing the change but with an increase in obesity and its many health-adverse side effects (particularly for women), this change could be the first step toward a more equal state.
Saudi Arabia takes a strict view on Sharia law and prevents women from freely participating in many tasks that the Western world (and even other Muslim countries) takes for granted. The permission of a male guardian is always needed in order for women to participate in everyday life with almost nothing being achievable for women without it. While the current king is showing signs of progression, the struggle for equality is far from over. We take a look at other prohibitions on Saudi Arabia’s female population.
Khalwa: Contact with unrelated men
Gender segregation is at the crux of all female discrimination. Being without a guardian or related male can pose real problems for women, preventing them from completing the most menial of tasks. It is your guardian’s job to take care of their women and a woman is obliged to obey. In addition to being vulnerable to prosecution in the case of rape or sexual harassment, they need to be extremely careful when traveling in taxis (driven by men) and if not accompanied by a related male in the case of a medical emergency, an ambulance will not be despatched. In 2002 over 12 schoolgirls perished in a schoolhouse blaze. Not only was the building a fire hazard in itself but male firefighters were prevented from accessing the school. The fatality count included foreign students.
Driving
Possibly the most well-known restriction – women in Saudi Arabia do not have the right to drive. While it is not technically illegal, the necessary licence is not awarded to women and driving without the licence is an offence. Several justifications for the oppressive rule include not wanting women to remove their traditional niqab (which is necessary for an unrestricted view of the road), overcrowding the streets with cars which, in turn, is argued would limit the number of young men able to drive, and the notion that it gives females the freedom and the opportunity to betray their husbands. A protest was recently carried out by women in Saudi Arabia who defiantly got behind the wheel to draw attention to the issue in hopes of lifting the ban. The protest was one the longest women’s rights campaigns and specifically included a time when US President Barack Obama visited the Kingdom in March. Interestingly, some women are against the lifting of the ban saying it opens the door to sexual harassment and the chance for husbands to be unfaithful; the argument being that if women drivers have the freedom to betray their husbands, then there is equal freedom for those women to seduce married men.
Most medical procedures
If a guardian does not give medical treatment the go-ahead, a doctor will not treat a woman. While not supported by law, this is the general practice – even if the guardian does give permission, but isn’t present, the male doctor will likely be prohibited from interacting with the patient in any way. In one instance, the necessary amputation of a woman’s hand was unnecessarily delayed after the same car crash that killed her guardian husband and young daughter, left her critically injured.
Employment
Again, without the necessary permission, a woman does not have the right to work. Saudi women make up less than 20% of the native workforce – less than half of some other Muslim countries such as the United Arab Emirates which boasts a rate of 40%. For those few women in the workforce, their roles are limited to positions where they only have contact with other women. In 1980 womens’ banks were created specifically to avoid women having to deal with men when organising with their finances. There is usually a male guard employed at these banks but he is to be married to a female employee. This way, should any interaction between tellers and security need to occur it would not be inappropriate.
Education
While more women (with permission) than men receive secondary and tertiary education, the quality of this education is significantly lower. The materials and resources used to educate women are updated far less frequently than their male counterparts and the education itself focuses on how to run a home. The official policy is that the only purpose of educating women is to bring her up in a proper Islamic way so as to perform her duty in life. Female teachers, and medical practitioners are not uncommon but seeing as women can only be educated by women, it is a position bred from necessity and simultaneously contributes to the lower quality of education. Women are, however, free to study whatever they like if they are studying abroad but getting overseas hinges on the permission of their guardian.
Rape victims are susceptible to arrest
Arguably the worst violation of a woman’s rights. In the event of a rape, a woman can be charged with offences relating to: interacting with a man who is not her guardian, leaving her home without a suitable companion or, in some cases, the resulting pregnancy. A rape case in 2006 occurred when a young woman tried to retrieve a photo from a male classmate. He drover her to a remote location where she was raped by seven men. While the men were also jailed, she was sentenced to six months jail and 200 lashes for her violation of sex segregation. There are no laws in place to protect women from spousal or statutory rape.
Helping other women
Another harrowing tale from the Saudi legal system saw two female activists dragged before a judge when trying to help a friend they believed was being kept hostage in her own home. Having received a call from their friend who told them her husband had locked her and her children in their home without sufficient food, the women rushed to her aid. Unfortunately, it was all a ruse planned by the woman’s husband who had the activists arrested on suspicion of helping his wife and her children flee the country. The husband was not reprimand for the evident signs of abuse or his part in the plan.
Travel
“A woman’s place is in the home. A man’s place is everywhere else”, an Amnesty International video from 2011 was created to draw attention to the plight of the female population in Saudi Arabia after one of the more recent anti-driving protests. A special identity card is needed for women looking to travel abroad and while a woman can apply for this without permission, the use of the card, again, is dependant on permission from the guardian. It is impossible for women to leave the country without permission. If a guardian says no, that is final. Even the use of public transport poses a dilemma. Being unable to drive leaves women vulnerable to a lack of mobility but in order to carry out everyday tasks, they need to leave the house which can result in khalwa (illegal interaction with unrelated men). While technically forbidden, the ban is seldom enforced and the necessity for women to leave the house for certain occasions (for example, to shop) seems to take priority. It does, of course, not bode well for women who may become victim of sexual assault and will, in turn, have no real justification for being unaccompanied.
Custody of her children in the event of divorce
In the event of a divorce, a woman is eligible to retain custody of her children but only up until the time they turn seven. Should a woman be from another country and obtain a divorce in Saudi Arabia, she is not free to move away with her children. Saudi Arabia is not a party of the Hague Convention which helps to prevent child abduction, even in the case of parents. No other country has the right to demand a child return with their mother to their home country, if they are Saudi Arabian. The only real chance of a woman being granted custody is if she is a Saudi woman and her husband is not.
Images: YouTube and Wikipedia
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