As part of what Saudi officials have called ‘historic’ new rights, Saudi Arabia has eased travel restrictions for women over 21 years. From the end of August, women who fit the age requirements will be able to travel without permission from a male relative.
These new rights will also adult allow ‘to register births, marriages and divorces, to be issued official family documents and be guardians to minors,’ according to a report from Reuters.
Up until now, a Saudi woman would need a male relative (such as a husband, son, father or brother) to approve ‘big decisions throughout a woman’s life’. The granting of these rights comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is trying to draw foreign tourists to the country and dispel negative perceptions from the international community.
In 2010 the country clamped down on tourism but in April 2018 it reversed its approach and began issuing tourist visas again. Saudi Arabia is hoping to attract 30 million visitors by 2030 as part of a tourism drive as it moves away from its dependence on oil to sustain the economy.
The true value of the new rights granted to Saudi women has been questioned, however, by experts outside the country.
Hala al-Dosari, a US-based Saudi women’s rights expert said, ‘We need enforcement of these laws and the establishment of reporting mechanisms when these policies are not being upheld, as well as watchdog organisations’.
‘Male guardians can still file cases of disobedience and absence from home against women,’ Dosari told Reuters. ‘The government recognises filial disobedience as a crime. These two cases, punishable by imprisonment and flogging, are representative of the wider legal control of women’s autonomy by men that still needs to be dismantled,’ she added.
Featured image: Pixabay
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