Saudi Women – Between Passports and Sport
26 July 2016By Abdulrahman Al-Rashed
Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud has been officially appointed as the Vice
President for Women's Affairs of the General Sports Authority – an institution
that has always been monopolised by men. This is a positive step and provides
a dose of optimism in relation to correcting the situation of women in Saudi
Arabia. This is a difficult and complicated matter on all levels.
The status of women is a problem that is as old as the state; nearly a
century. The problem has accompanied the state in all its stages, since it was
established by transforming a society which was mostly made up of nomads and
peasants into a modern civil society. Old traditions still remain dominant at
home, in the street, at school and at work. The story is a long one and can be
summarised by giving an example. Up until recently, women did not have the
right to possess an ID card. A woman's ID amounted to a line that was included
on her father's or husband's ID card. Three years ago, ID cards became
mandatory for all women over the age of fifteen. Some people objected to this
at the time but after that the matter became normal. Recently, divorcees and
widows have been permitted to have ID cards issued for their children so that
they can enrol in schools and get access to health care. Health care
institutions that refuse to treat women without the consent of their fathers
or husbands are now punished, unlike in the past.
During the past three years, many regulations have been developed and
corrected. Women are now allowed to hold positions that they were previously
banned from such as working as a lawyer in courts. After much controversy and
objection, the wishes of women were granted and not only were they allowed to
work as lawyers, but the cases that they work on are not limited to those
concerning women. Today they are entitled to take legal action concerning all
sorts of different issues, just like men. In three years, about one hundred
women have become lawyers and more than six hundred qualified women are
training to become lawyers.
Women were given the right to participate in municipal elections; they are
allowed to vote in them and stand as candidates. It was a big occasion when
more than 100,000 Saudi women voted. Sadly, winning candidates were deprived
of their rights and were isolated from the councils. This was an internal
decision invented by the ministry, and it does not apply to other state
councils!
This practice may be an authoritarian one rather than one based on
regulations. An example of this is when some compel women who want to study
for a masters or a PhD to obtain their guardian's consent. These people impose
laws of their own which they must be held accountable for.
Since women have been permitted to carry their own ID cards, a series of
discriminatory measures against women have been abolished. For example, women
are no longer required to be accompanied by a male guardian in order to stay
at a hotel. The controversial issue about whether Saudi women are entitled to
a passport remains. From what I understand, a woman does not need her
guardian's consent to obtain a passport. However, she must obtain her
guardian's approval in order to travel.
I asked a female legislator why the Shura Council or the government have not
been advised to amend the resolution, especially as this would be in line with
the previous series of procedures. She explained that many of the
controversial issues are not based on complicated laws and rules, but how
regulations are implemented, and the relevant authority can amend this.
These issues show us the old philosophy of the role of government. This is no
longer suitable for modern society. It is based on the state playing the role
of a father or husband with family members and acts on behalf of an employer
toward his employees, protecting the former's rights. Many cases in court show
husbands and fathers abusing the rights of their dependents.
In terms of correcting other laws and regulations in favour of Saudi women,
there is much work to be done. Refining social traditions that sometimes
prevent women from exercising their legal rights is a task that needs even
more attention. Contradictions can still be seen in society, and an example of
this is that women are encouraged to study but are prevented from working. The
number of female students enrolled in general and higher education is
astounding and more than the number of male students! According to the Global
Gender Gap Report carried out by the World Economic Forum in 2015, Saudi
Arabia's ranking improved a lot compared to other countries in terms of
educational opportunities for women. It was ranked 82 among 145 countries in
the world, but was ranked 138 for its economic opportunities such as jobs.
The situation of Saudi women has improved in terms of their right to
inheritance, owning land, the prevention of female genital mutilation, the
criminalisation of physical abuse, the right to abortion for health reasons,
setting a minimum age for marriage, allowing a woman to file for divorce and
the granting of maternity leave. There are many other things that can be
improved e.g. allowing women to drive and expanding their employment
opportunities.
Al Rashed is the general manager of Al -Arabiya television. He is also the
former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al- Awsat, and the leading Arabic weekly
magazine, Al Majalla. He is also a senior Columnist in the daily newspapers of
Al Madina and Al Bilad. He is a US post-graduate degree in mass
communications. He has been a guest on many TV current affairs programs. He is
currently based in Dubai.
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EsinIslam.Com
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