An American woman who divorced her Saudi businessman husband is now trapped in the country with their young daughter because of the Kingdom's restrictions on women.

Bethany Vierra, who is originally from Washington state, has been living in Saudi Arabia since 2011 when she moved there to teach at a women's university, the New York Times reports.

The now 31-year-old met her future husband there and they married in Portugal in 2013. They have a four-year-old daughter together.

Bethany Vierra, who is originally from Washington state, moved to Saudi Arabia in 2011 for a teaching job. The now 31-year-old met her future husband there and they married in Portugal in 2013. They have a daughter together who is now four. (Vierra is pictured right with her mother, daughter and an unknown man believed to be a friend of the family. There is no suggestion at this time the man is her husband)

They got a divorce last year after their relationship broke down and Vierra claimed her husband was emotionally and verbally abusive towards her.

Since the divorce, Vierra's family say she has been stuck there because of Saudi Arabia's strict guardianship system.

The system means Saudi women are often only as free as their male 'guardians' - which can include husbands, fathers or other male relatives - allow them to be.

Women have to receive formal permission from the male guardians to study, get married or even renew their passports.

Vierra is a dual Saudi-American citizen.

In her case, her ex-husband is still considered her and her daughter's guardian.

Her family claim the ex-husband let her residency run out last month, which means she is now in Saudi Arabia illegally and no longer has access to her bank accounts.

Vierra and her ex-husband have a daughter together in Saudi Arabia who is now four years old

Even if she can work out how to leave the Kingdom, her family says she will not be allowed to take her daughter unless the girl's father gives permission.

Vierra's cousin Nicole Carroll shared details of her situation with the Times to raise awareness of her plight. Neither Vierra nor her ex-husband would comment.

'She is completely stuck. She is out of options,' Carroll said.

It comes after a Saudi teenager managed to escape last month and fled to Thailand before being granted asylum by Canada.

She garnered support around the world after barricading herself in they city's airport hotel room earlier last month to resist being sent home to her family whom she claims had threatened her life and to force her to marry against her will.

Human rights groups have previously said the guardianship system turns women into second-class citizens, depriving them of social and economic freedoms and making them more vulnerable to violence.