The news that King Salman of Saudi Arabia has issued a royal decree finally giving women in the conservative Kingdom the right to drive was met with celebration both inside the country and across the globe.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that does not allow women to drive.

The issue has come to represent all of the human rights abuses Saudi women suffer under the Kingdom’s male guardianship system, which gives a woman’s husband, son or father control over almost all aspects of her life.

Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel Show all 4 1 /4 Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel A room at the Luthan Hotel and Spa in the Saudi Capital Riyadh HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel A receptionist at Luthan Hotel and Spa poses for pictures during the opening ceremony in the Saudi Capital Riyadh HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel A Saudi woman explores the new hotel HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel Two women attend the hotel's opening ceremony HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images

“Women’s issues have always been used by the Saudi regime at the right moment in order to disperse bad publicity,” Madawi al-Rasheed, a Saudi Arabian professor of social anthropology at the London School of Economics, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Wednesday.

“We talk about driving as if it is the most important thing - it is important for the women’s movement... but there are certain legal restrictions that are still in place [that are also a pressing issue],” she added. “It’s a long struggle and a long road to serious equality.”

King Salman and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman have implemented “Vision 2030”, a long-term blueprint of economic and social reforms designed to modernise Saudi Arabia and wean itself off reliance on oil revenue.

While there has been promise of several reforms for female citizens so far just a handful of the important decisions a woman in Saudi Arabia still cannot make for herself include:

Marry

Permission to marry must be granted by your wali, or guardian. Women who seek to marry foreigners must obtain approval to do by the ministry of interior, and marriage to non-Muslims is so difficult as to be impossible.

Open a bank account

While there are now a few jobs women in the Kingdom are allowed to do without male permission, such as working as shop assistants or at fairgrounds, they are not allowed to have their own bank account to control their finances without permission.

LSE Saudi Arabia academic: Lifting ban on women driving is being used to deflect bad news

Get a fair trial

The testimony of a woman is only worth half a man’s in Saudi Arabia’s legal system. Women also only receive half the inheritance their brothers are entitled to.

Travel

Passports and identification cards must be obtained with the permission of a male guardian. Women are usually also not allowed to leave the home alone.

Dress how they want

“Dressing for beauty” is illegal, and modest clothing and make up encouraged.

Full length abayas - a long coat worn over other clothes - must be worn by all women in public, although in recent years rules over the colour, decoration and how headscarves are worn have been relaxed.

Interact with men

Conversations and time spent with men who are not family members is limited. In public, restaurants, universities and other spaces have both a ‘family’ section and a section reserved for men.

Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women Show all 4 1 /4 Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women SAUDI WOMEN122.jpg SAUDI WOMEN: Tahany Omar, 36, has a Masters of Business Administration from the US but has found the job market challenging in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; she works in an investment firm, but not in management. Washington Post photo by Linda Davidson Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women SAUDI WOMEN124.jpg A young Saudi woman in her 20's shops for dresses on the women-only level at Kingdom Centre Mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in October. Unless designated as a women's only area, most shopping in Saudi Arabia is staffed by men. Washington Post photo by Linda Davidson Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women SAUDI WOMEN123.jpg Saudi men reflected in the mirrors of the Al-Faisaliyah Center viewing level which overlooks the expansive city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Washington Post photo by Linda Davidson Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women SAUDI WOMEN121.jpg SAUDI WOMEN: Zainab Al Talib, left, assists legal consultant Tala Al-Hejailan at the law offices of DLA Piper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 8. Hejailan is a lawyer, but cannot practise law in Saudi Arabia, which will not grant licences to women. Washington Post photo by Linda Davidson

Seek important medical treatment

Even life-saving operations and procedures require the written signature of a male relative.

Have custody of children