Saudi women denied basic human rights

Monday, 21 April 2008 3:30 PM

RIGHTS DENIED: Human Rights Watch said Saudi women are being denied even basic human rights. (Getty Images)

Saudi women are being denied basic human rights under the kingdom's male guardianship and strict gender segregation policies, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Monday.

The US-based group called on the government to dismantle the "grossly discriminatory" guardianship system and drastically expand the facilities available for women to allow them equal access to public services.

Human Rights Watch said more than 100 women were interviewed for the report, 'Perpetual Minors: Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia'.

Under Saudi law women are not allowed to be alone in the company of a male guardian, which can either be a father, husband, brother or son. Restaurants, cafes, shops and offices are all required to have separate areas for men and women.

Under law women are also not permitted to work, travel, study or marry, and can be denied access to health, judicial and other public services without first obtaining permission from a male guardian.

Human Rights Watch said authorities treated adult women like "legal minors" and prevented them from having any control over their lives or well-being.

“The Saudi government sacrifices basic human rights to maintain male control over women,” Farida Deif, women’s rights researcher for the Middle East at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

“Saudi women won’t make any progress until the government ends the abuses that stem from these misguided policies.”

The group also said women were not seeing the benefit of limitations on the power of guardians recently imposed by the government.

It said authorities continued to deny women access to healthcare and women over 45 the right to travel without permission, despite national regulations to the contrary.

The criticism is just the latest attack on Saudi Arabia's treatment of women by an international rights organisation.

A UN expert on women's rights said in February she had heard accounts of serious discrimination against women and abuses by religious police during a visit to Saudi Arabia.

Yakin Erturk, the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women said that while some Saudi women expressed satisfaction with their lives, "others have raised concerns of serious levels of discriminatory practices against women that compromise their rights and dignity as full human beings".

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Posted by: LINDA KLOSS Sunday, 15 January 2012 1:49 PM[UAE] - United States

It seems to make no sense. I don't understand why men don't want women to have their rights. It seems to me that this would benefit the men as much as the women. I would love to see Saudi Arabia one day (I love the deserts - and camels -) but I fear I would be executed. It would break my heart, though, to see women treated this way. Help me understand, anyone. I do respect Islam and admire its followers for their devout following of their faith.

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Posted by: DH Saturday, 22 October 2011 10:46 AM[UAE] - Canada

These laws are not at all Islamic. This "Muslim" country is violating human rights on every level whether it be international law or Islamic Shari'a Law. Women are equal to men in the name of Islam and Human Rights.

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Posted by: Crystal Vanay Wednesday, 3 November 2010 9:01 AM[UAE] - United Satetes

In my opinion this is just cruel to women.

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Posted by: Abeer Saturday, 26 July 2008 11:08 AM[UAE]

I understand people getting a bit defensive over how their country is perceived but lets be realistic here... Saudi women are denied basic human rights granted practically every where around the world... Equally important are rights granted (or rather not!!) to non-Saudi women married to Saudi men... in cases of divorce, a Saudi man can find all sorts of loop holes in the legal system to deny his wife her basic child custody rights...this is true of muslim non Saudi wives as well as non-Muslim Saudi wives... this is one example of thousands of other examples which defy every religion and legal system...

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Posted by: An Ignorant Wednesday, 23 April 2008 10:05 AM[UAE]

Human rights watch report is clearly biased and does not reflect the true picture of the shariah law. Gentlemen, this is the law decreed upon His creation by the Creator. Saudi government is only a channel of regulating this law, as it is an Islamic country following the Shariah law and you shall follow it as long as you are in it. Well, everything in this world has got exceptions, similarly there are some unscruplous men who misuse these laws for worldly gains, but dont you worry, Allah is the best of Judges. Coming back to human rights violation, please do not humour me by saying that the west is the best in human rights. Everyone in the world knows whats going on in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Gitmo, and the list goes on.... Human rights watch should search back thier archives and see what the western women had to say about the shariah law sometime in the last decade. The western women were more than happy to abide by the Shariah law were they stay home and take care of the family while the man of the house protects the family. Now, Arabianbusiness.com should not have publicised such biased material which may mislead people into thinking all these incorrect information to be true as it is being endorsed and published in an Arab Newsletter.

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