By the end of August, women in Saudi Arabia are expected to be able to work, travel and obtain passports without the permission of a male relative, according to new government regulations announced on Friday.

Both Saudi women and men have celebrated the changes, the most seismic yet to a legal and social “guardianship” system requiring women to seek permission from a husband or male relative for many activities. They follow other rights granted under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, that aim to open Saudi society and revamp its ultraconservative image.

Last year, when Saudi Arabia lifted a ban on women driving, we asked how the new right changed their lives and what obstacles remained.