Photo Credit: flickr | edward musiak

Edited with permission by Frontier

For decades, Saudi Arabia has been widely criticised in the Western world for its oppression of women. The country follows a particularly strict brand of Islamic law known as ‘Wahhabism’ , which states that every woman must cover herself and have a male guardian with her at all times, often a relative or her husband, who decides what the woman is allowed to do and where she is allowed to go. However, in recent years, increased pressure from women’s rights groups have brought about amendments to some of these limiting laws. From covering up in an all-black abaya to always needing male permission, being female in Saudi Arabia can seem quite restricting. So, how is this changing in 2018?

Photo Credit: flickr | Matthias Catón

Limited freedom

Women in Saudi Arabia were not always living under these strict rules, but after the 1990s, the norm has been that women have to cover up in black, and to rely on men’s permission to make important decisions and to accompany them when they leave the house: this is called the ‘guardian’ system. Women cannot buy food themselves or choose to go for a walk, with their choices limited. Even though a woman is highly educated, she might be unemployed because her father or brother refuses to drive her to work at a job where men are present, and most of the all-female jobs are extremely competitive. While the women’s rights movement inspires some Saudi women, many are still scared that their fathers and brothers might disown them if they challenge their authority. Another significant factor is that the less privileged the women are, the more likely they are to abide by these conventions, and class is a substantial marker of women’s freedom and abilities.

Photo Credit: flickr | UNICEF Ethiopia

Attacking women’s rights activists

The Saudi Arabian media is highly controlled by the government, and female journalists and activists in particular are seen as a threat to security and stability in the country. Some women are trying to make colourful clothing acceptable, whereas others are fighting for female friendly workplaces. It is often dangerous for journalists to investigate and report on issues linked to women’s rights, as demonstrated earlier this year when Eman Al Nafjan, among several others, was arrested (without being able to get a lawyer) for writing about women’s rights and criticising the ‘guardian system’. Activists such as these feel that the Saudi authorities are being hypocritical, claiming to be creating a more open society on the one hand, while in fact silencing critics by jailing them or forcing them to flee abroad.

Winning a battle

On 24th June this year, the ban preventing women from driving was finally lifted, allowing Saudi Arabian women to drive. The freedom to drive a car can make women feel like they are a part of this country and its development, however, some families will continue to prohibit women from driving, and there have even been cases of womens’ cars being set on fire since the ban was lifted.

Nonetheless, Saudis are slowly coming to terms with the idea that real change is coming to a country historically renowned for resistance to anything new. However, the pace of the reform programme, introduced by the crown prince and heir to the throne, Mohammed bin Salman, has left many in the kingdom bewildered.

Last month alone, women were told they could join the military and the intelligence service, that driving schools will open for women, that they can legally take to the roads on their own, and that the government is planning to secure the country’s economy by adding women to the force.

Photo Credit: flickr | Jaguar MENA

There is a decided mix of optimism and pessimism about women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, but women are used to carrying on regardless of their obstacles, and some might say that this is where their strength is mostly felt. However, Saudi men are taught to live by traditional, often restrictive rules by male elders and by society itself; even if men in society wanted to be better – and there is reason to believe that they do – it’s not easy for them to make this change in an instant.