Thousands Ask For The Abolition of Guardianship Over Women in Saudi Arabia

World News Rudolph Rodriquez
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Thousands of residents of Saudi Arabia asked the government to abolish the system of guardianship of men over women, which prevents them from exercising activities without permission fundamental from a male relative. They signed a petition online that wants women to be equal to men, can enter more easily into work, to travel without restrictions or to marry who they want, without needing the consent of a male from the family.

‘Women should be treated as full citizens,’ said activist Aziza Al-Yousef who, along with other campaigners for gender equality, is fighting for more than a decade to abolish this practice. ‘It is not just a matter of women, this practice puts pressure on men who want to lead a normal life, so not only concerns women,’ he added, quoted by the Guardian.

Under the Saudi law, women need to receive permission from a male family member to travel, to marry, to get out of jail and sometimes even to employ or have access to the health system.

Usually, the holding guardianship over women is the father or her husband. A widow may seek permission from her son if the family has no other male relatives older at age.

In the recent years, however, a protest movement is increasing more intense and is sought to put an end to this system. Yousef and other activists have begun five years ago to support workshops and teach courses about what it means, in terms of religious practice, but the campaign has exploded this summer, following a report by Human Rights Watch which revealed a worrying reality. The data led to using a new hashtag, #IAmMyOwnGuardian, to raise awareness of the problem.

The Saudi Arabian government agreed to abolish the guardianship system twice, once in 2009 and once in 2012 after a report by the UN Human Rights Council. The authorities have even crossed the implementation of reforms, for example facilitating access to employment for women, their appointment to the board of advisers of the King, but also allowed women to run in municipal elections and to vote. They have, however, many limitations and their application was abandoned very soon.