Male guardianship

Fatima A, a 40-plus woman living in Riyadh, cannot board a plane without a written permission from her son.

In conservative Saudi Arabia, a woman's life is not her own; she is nothing but a legal minor.

Every woman in Saudi Arabia must have a male guardian. Till she ties the knot, the guardianship is the job of the father, but even uncles, brothers and sons can assume the role of a guardian.

As per this tradition, Saudi women need a go ahead from the guardian to study, work, travel and marry. That's not all. They need the permission of the guardian to access certain types of healthcare, thus increasing their dependency on their male counterparts.

A woman's access to justice is also restricted for she cannot file a case or even be heard in court without a legal guardian. And often, it is the male guardian who is abusive.

These discriminatory practices keep women away from their basic rights, giving them no authority over their own lives.

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