E-mail Article
Printer Friendly
Share Article
95% of Saudi women suffer abuse - survey
As many as 95 percent of women in Riyadh have been subjected to a form of physical or emotional abuse from within their family, according to a new survey.
The survey – which constituted of 80 women being interviewed about their family life - revealed that 75 percent have been abused both psychologically and verbally.
Another 25 percent said they had been sexually abused by a family member, reported the Saudi Gazette.
Several of the women, according to an Al-Riyadh report, said their salaries were withheld from them by their families and they were prevented from getting married. Some said their families did not want them to get married so they would not have to share their salaries with anyone else but the family, the paper said.
Dr Majed Al-Isa, Medical Director in the Family Safety program for the National Guard said verbal and psychological abuse are the main forms of abuse used by families. He told the newspaper that the degree of education has no bearing on how much abuse a person is subjected to.
Quick Links(Residental)
Filter by address:
Comments 1-10 of 10
Posted by annlar, NYC, USA on 9 August 2008 at 00:11 UAE time
alloverstudent
I can imagine your not liking the survey and putting it down as invalid due to the lack of a high number. Shame on you. How many females must be abused before you consider a survey valid. or, how bad does the abuse have to be before YOU accept it.
the numbers does not matter in the least. One is too many. But unfortunately, too many males don't care, females are only there to do the males bidding.
Yeah, right. Those days are over. and there will come a time that Arabian females are treated with respect. they are becoming stronger in numbers and more vocal already. Brave females, indeed.
Posted by mahmoud ali ahmed, khartoum, Sudan on 8 August 2008 at 23:24 UAE time
All women across the world face some kind of bad treatment, not only Saudi women. However, the case of Saudi women resembles what we generally hold in Sudan "All people are mad but the unluckiest is the one fettered". Western women suffer a lot from their husband's illegal relationships with women out of the wed-lock. Western husbands push personal freedom beyond very unacceptable limits. Their wives' reaction is retaliatory.
Posted by alloverstudent on 7 August 2008 at 18:33 UAE time
This article shouldn't even be published! As it says in the beginning of the article, the survey only interviewed 80 women... so 95% of the 80 women reported abuse!!! Why would a sample as small as 80 consider to be representative of all Saudi women?!?!
My argument is against nothing but the validity and reliability of the study- not the point they are trying to make, just their representativeness!
Posted by steph, dubai on 7 August 2008 at 13:37 UAE time
If you understood this article as an attack to Islam then you are making a mistake, not the newspaper. As a woman i am glad to see that some people here, muslim or not, agree to the fact that Saudi treat their women in a very bad way. taking away from them every rights even the most simple, like the right to drive... this is not Islam that is concerned here but the version of it that only Saudi chose to follow. Why don't you see this in UAE, Syria, Jordan etc... ?
Posted by ABUSIDRA, DUBAI, U.A.E. on 7 August 2008 at 12:45 UAE time
A general report or observation obtained from an informal survey, should not be your sensational headline. We are not aware what tools they used, since the report seems to be quite illogical. It is as if you report '95% poople gets critically ill in a country during an year, when the fact was they get a little fever (which is quite normal)'. So, pls. avoid sensationalism and do ethical journalism. Thank you.
Posted by MOHAMMED KALEEMULLAH, DUBAI, U.A.E. on 7 August 2008 at 12:22 UAE time
Brother Khatib says this is Saudi problem and not Islamic. I think its very shallow observation. we should present the truth and try our best to distinguish false, lies, deceit, cunningness from Truth by using our logic, ethics & religion. To cut is it short, whatever appearing in newspapers, media etc is not 100% correct. Try to read between the lines, don't just go on face value. Have you ever seen any report that the most advanced countries and so called freedom & equality boasters in the world have the most rape, incest & exploitation cases. Think about it?
Posted by Mohamed Al Khatib, Dubai, UAE on 7 August 2008 at 10:29 UAE time
Why is no-one criticising the Omanis for abusing women? No-one criticises the Emiratis for abusing women? Perhaps it is because the Omanis and Emiratis do not do it! This is not an Islamic problem... it is a Saudi problem.
Posted by Namsheed Nazeer, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 7 August 2008 at 09:23 UAE time
Severe punishments or bringing more restrictions won't work, liberalisation should be brought into the country for opening up the minds wide and giving them an international level mind set.
Posted by MOHAMMED KALEEMULLAH, DUBAI, U.A.E. on 6 August 2008 at 17:53 UAE time
How quick is the media to report and capitalise cheaply on such exaggerated news. Why not make it 100% women facing abuse? I am sure more than 5% are independent women, business women etc who have full command over the situation. The point here is not to sympathise with women but to show Islam in bad light which is true incorrect and have to be avoided. A reputed paper like yours should not jump in to conclusions or post biased headlines. Afterall what are you trying to prove or justify or exploit or whatever?
Posted by rajeevan, Dubai, UAE on 6 August 2008 at 14:13 UAE time
All women must be given their due respects and obviously they have a right to choose their way of life. Every woman must be given the freedom and the opportunity to be what they aspire for their development. Keeping good faith in Islam, every woman must be given a chance to come up in academics, society, cultural, political & any other upcoming field of their choice, without any hard restrictions.