5.2.a Women's rights in Saudi Arabia

Male guardianship

• A women's father, husband or son has the authority to make critical decisions on the behalf of the woman
• Saudi women must obtain a male relative's approval to
  • apply for a passport
  • travel outside the country
  • study abroad - even on a government scholarship
  • get married
  • leave prison
  • exit a shelter for abuse victims

Access to employment

• 2016 - Ranked 141 out of 144 for gender parity
• Women account for just 13% of the workforce
• This is 40% in the UAE
• 86% of women thought that women should not work with men
• 89% of women thought they should not be able to drive either
• Women can only work in roles where they are only in direct contact with other women

Freedom of expression and association

• 'Reporters Without Borders' ranked Saudi Arabia 169th out of 180 countries for freedom of the press
• Women don't have identity cards
• They are listed as dependants on their guardian's identity card
• Banned fro playing or watching sports
• First was private schools where sport was sanctioned in 2013
• 2013 - women were allowed to ride bicycles, but only in parks and accompanied by a male relative
• Only recently allowed to go for runs
• Political activists are jailed, tortured and sexually abused

Domestic violence

• 2013 - only just became illegal to abuse women and children
• Marriage of girls as young as 9
• Early marriage, before 16, negatively influences their chance of employment and their health as they are at greater risk of dying from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth
• Being a victim of **** or sexual assault is criminalised

Women driving

• 5% have licenses and drive every day
• 8% have licenses but drive infrequently
• 15% are in the process of applying for licenses
• This helps get more women into work
• Save money on travelling
• Men no longer have to drive them so they can be more productive
• A decrease in money spent on taxis
• Can drive since 2018

Women in sports

• London 2012 - sent 2 women
• However, these women were branded as prostitutes
• Rio 2016 - 4 women were sent but the same abuse happened
• Help a basketball tournament in the King Abdullah Sport City
• 2017 - female-only gyms
• This helps as 44% of women were obese
• 73% of Saudi women were inactive as of 2017

Women's right to get a divorce

• Jan 2019 - Women now have to be told if their marriage has ended
• Aug 2019 - Women can now divorce their man
• Before August - Women could only divorce with their guardian's consent but their guardian would be their husband
• They could also leave before if they were being abused

Access to healthcare and education

• No longer require male guardian consent
• Some treatments that are private require consent
• Not penalised by the government
• Randed 141/144 for gender gap for health and education
• Now ranked 138/146 in 2018
• Tertiary education has increased since 2009 with there now being more girls in tertiary education compared to boys