Male Guardianship is a system within Saudi Society that requires women to have a male “guardian,” which is usually a male relative, who has to accompany and give permission to a woman for her to be allowed to do tasks. The Male Guardianship System In Saudi Arabia, men are automatically granted full legal guardianship of their children at birth. The ownership of a woman is passed from one man to another, typically from the father or the brother to the husband. close. In Saudi Arabia, women are under the guardianship of a man until the end of their lives. A woman can be arrested on charges of “disobedience” of the male guardians. Here in the US, we often take our rights for granted. Mohamed Alarefe, a prominent Saudi Muslim scholar with the largest number of Twitter followers in the Arab world at over 16 million, has argued that Qawama (the Quranic concept often used to justify guardianship) is not an honor for a man--but rather a burden, since it requires him to be responsible for his family. Men who had supported their cause or defended them in court were also arrested. Her case has sparked global outrage due to the extreme and legally questionable nature of her, and the incident was described as “Canadian attempt at stirring up civil strife by inciting the Kingdom’s teenage girls to abandon social mores”. 8 January 2019. By. Let's make sure these are not hollow words. © 2021 BBC. The stories of the women taking a stand are inspiring, I feel so sad after reading this post. The conservative Gulf kingdom has also reversed a ban on sports for women and girls in public schools, and allowed women to watch football matches in stadiums. Her husband had died in the same car crash that left her and her daughter critically injured. It makes the equality issues in the US seem so minor. These restrictions were highlighted in early January, when a young Saudi woman fleeing her family barricaded herself in a hotel room in Bangkok saying she feared imprisonment if she was sent back home. Share page. issued a detailed report on male guardianship in Saudi Arabia describing the activism against male guardianship as “incredible and unprecedented”. Under his leadership, the requirement of male guardian’s permissions was waved off from public services. Women are treated as possessions of their male guardians. It is against basic human rights. Male guardianship is based on very oppressive and rigid social norms, might take years to abolish till women in all parts of the society receives true freedom! The male guardianship system, the experts noted, was "the key obstacle to women's participation in society and economy". Loujain al-Hathloul was one of the most prominent voices in the movement. The I read the part about the father who married off his eight-year-old daughter to a 47-year-old man to have his debts forgiven. ‘We have a voice’ — artist confronts Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship laws Arts. The underpinning of Saudi Arabia's legal system and social norms is an ultraconservative Islamic ideology widely known as Wahhabism. Domestic Violence Against Women Across The World-Where Are We? Her case has sparked global outrage due to the extreme and legally questionable nature of her extradition. Perhaps the most visible is Wajeha Al-Huwaider, a Saudi who does a little showboating by being driven in a taxi to the border checkpoint to enter Bahrain without permission from a male guardian. What women can and can’t do under Saudi Arabia's male guardianship system - YouTube. Thanks for speaking up. , with the trending slogan, “Remove guardianship and we won’t all migrate”. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I really wish more countries treated people equally. Even women who have fled abroad have been unable to avoid detention. This is a reminder of how fortunate US citizens are and our obligation to help others throughout the world gain equal footing. Saudi Arabia's enduring male guardianship system. Saudi Arabia's enduring male guardianship system. Human Rights Watch released a report today. I would be interested in direct suggestions for how we can help this cause. Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship system continues to be the greatest obstacle to women’s rights even though there have been limited reforms in the last ten years. About sharing. If a woman is detained for any reason, the police will not release her unless her guardian comes to receive her. Mariam al-Otaibi, another activist, spent three months in detention in 2017 after her father accused her of "disobedience". Share. After her attempt to cross the Saudi border by car in 2014, Loujain spent 73 days in prison, but in what is called a “care home” or “Dar al Reaya”. The world we live in is gradually evolving and one day Saudi will get it and get there. Saudi Arabia ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 2000 and has said gender equality is guaranteed in accordance with the provisions of Sharia, or Islamic law. Saudi Arabia women's lives dictated by male guardianship: report Saudi Arabia, women, Male Guardianship, Shura Council The Judicial Committee of Saudi Arabia 's Shura Council turned down a proposal submitted by a female council member that would allow women to contract their marriage without requiring the permission of a male guardian . In January, the organization called on the authorities to allow it and other independent monitors access to detained activists, including women human rights defenders, following … The @LoujainHathloul at home after 1001 days in … In another 2009 case, a father sent his daughter to a mental institution as punishment for her attempts to marry outside their tribe. Saudi Arabia has just committed to abolishing the male guardianship system. But quite ironically, the rampant arrest of women’s rights activists just before the driving ban was lifted,  shocked the world. The duchess tells Oprah Winfrey that a family member talked about how "dark" her baby's skin might be. Lasloom’s whereabouts, since returning to Saudi Arabia still remains unknown. The system is said to be derived from the Saudi religious establishment's interpretation of a Koranic verse that says: "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has given the one more [strength] than the other, and because they support them from their means.". 12 things we learned from Meghan's Oprah interview1, Billionaire Mackenzie Scott marries science teacher2, Meghan 'didn't want to be alive any more'3, Switzerland votes to ban face coverings in public4, French MP and billionaire Dassault dies in crash5, Huge explosion hurts hundreds in Equatorial Guinea6, Covid: 'My family told me to marry at 14'8, China says manufacturing 'greatness' still years away9, 'Deepfake is the future of content creation'10. End Male Guardianship. In 2008, the prominent rights activist Samar Badawi, whose father allegedly physically abused her, fled her family home and found refuge at a shelter. This incidence revived anti-male-guardianship campaign on. According to the World Bank, ... Customs of male guardianship and purdah curtail women's ability to study abroad. A woman can be arrested on charges of “disobedience” of the male guardians. Male guardians often abuse their power. I started reading this and immediately thought how awful it is that this happens. 5 Gender Equality Campaigns Which Made a Huge Impact, How Gender Stereotyping Is Holding Back Women Empowerment. Learn how your comment data is processed. Does Saudi robot citizen have more rights than women? What's causing vaccine delays in some Asian countries? Women are not allowed to leave the house without a male accompany. Covid: 'My family told me to marry at 14', George Floyd trial to start with hunt for jurors, 'The first black fairytale' gets modern reworking, 'Deepfake is the future of content creation', The ballerina dancing on ice for a real ‘swan lake’ VideoThe ballerina dancing on ice for a real ‘swan lake’, The surprising behaviour that stunned scientists. She also called for an end to Saudi Arabia’s restrictive male guardianship system that had long limited women’s freedom of movement. Related Topics. Share. Male guardianship over women in Saudi Arabia — or anywhere in the world — is wrong and discriminatory, and all forms of this outdated practice should be abolished. Amnesty International continued to be denied entry to Saudi Arabia. Then in May 2018 - just weeks before the driving ban was lifted - the Saudi authorities began an apparent crackdown on the women's rights movement that saw more than a dozen activists detained, including Ms Badawi. In 2016, under the leadership of women activists  Aziza al-Yousef, Loujain al-Hathloul, and Eman al-Nafjan, fourteen thousand people signed a petition, calling for the male guardianship system to be fully abolished. So sad. VideoCould lab-grown meat help tackle climate change? Women need their guardian’s permission for: Male guardianship is based on Sharia Law, which is not a codified system of law, but more of social customs in enforcing certain prohibitions on women. Saudi Arabia currently has a male guardianship system in place that gives men considerable power over women. The joint statement said, “We call on Saudi Arabia to take meaningful steps to ensure that all members of the public, including human rights defenders and journalists, can freely and fully exercise their rights to freedoms of expression, opinion, and association, including online, without fear of reprisals.”. What you are doing is so important to bring light to these issues. A Clinical Researcher by profession, I am originally from India; now live in California with my family. Dina Ali Lasloom, a Saudi woman who tried to flee her country in 2017 to escape a forced marriage, was detained in the Philippines. Women in Saudi Arabia on what life's really like, Saudi women in 'inside-out abaya' protest, Saudi asylum seeker 'taken home' by family, Meghan: Royal had concerns about son's skin colour. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. However, UN experts expressed concern in February 2018 at the country's failure to adopt a specific law prohibiting discrimination against women, as well as the absence of a legal definition of discrimination against women. Awful state of affairs for females in Saudi Arabia. In 2020, Saudi Arabia was ranked as a top reformer on women’s rights at work. They are essentially treated like minors," the Egyptian-American journalist Mona Eltahawy told the BBC. A senior member of Saudi Arabia’s top Muslim clerical body has said he believes the kingdom’s system of male guardianship should apply only … In 2017, Dina Ali Lasloom was forcibly returned to her family in Saudi Arabia while in transit in the Philippines en route to Australia. She barricaded herself and shared her story on Twitter appealing asylum to any other country. Lasloom’s whereabouts, since returning to Saudi Arabia still remains unknown. In January 2019, a teenager, Rahaf Mohammed, created International media attention and sensation on Social Media about the Male Guardianship in Saudi Arabia. In 2015, the Saudi government launched the, postponed amputating a critically injured woman’s hand in July 2013, because she had no male legal guardian to authorize the procedure. Wow! But five months later, King Salman issued a decree allowing women to access government services without being required to obtain a male guardian’s approval. A Saudi woman is required to obtain a male relative's approval to apply for a passport, travel outside the country, study abroad on a government scholarship, get married, leave prison, or even exit a shelter for abuse victims. http://www.thecozyme.com. Women are not allowed to leave the house without a male accompany. I feel so bad for those who are born into that abusive culture. Meghan 'didn't want to be alive any more', Huge explosion hurts hundreds in Equatorial Guinea, The woman with HIV helping others have a 'good death'. Government-aligned media outlets meanwhile branded them "traitors". We so often hear nothing about the consequences of these laws and customs, or maybe just snippets. The request came following a report by the Human Rights Watch claiming that the women were subjected to abuse, electric shocks, beatings, flogging, and rape threats. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Nadda Osman. Very difficult to read all of the injustices that happen to women. Thank you for this. What happens to your body in extreme heat? The Grand Mufti, Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, described the petition as a "crime against the religion of Islam and an existential threat to Saudi society", but five months later King Salman issued a decree allowing women to access government services without being required to obtain a male guardian's approval. What is their justification for treating any human worst than an animal? In the absence of any penal code, it is very difficult for the International community to assess the improvements. Published date: 30 June 2020 14:49 UTC | Last update: 8 months 6 days ago. Very well research and compiled post. In 2017, King Salman issued a royal decree announcing that women would no longer need a guardian’s permission to access public … And in September 2017, the king announced that women would be allowed to drive for the first time. Experts think even though the crown prince MBS took some reformers actions and modern outlooks, activists are feeling more threatened and freedom of speech was never abused so much before. "This is something that affects every Saudi woman and girl, from birth to death. She was finally rescued by a team of UNHCR representatives, and received asylum in Canada! Saudi women complained that if they attempt to flee abuse, they can still be arrested and forcibly returned if their male family members bring a legal claim based on … All females, girls, and women are forbidden from traveling, conducting official business, or undergoing certain medical procedures without permission from their male guardians. Around 2500 women sent telegrams to King Salman. Marriage and divorce and typically for any important decisions in their lives. Human Rights Watch issued a detailed report on male guardianship in Saudi Arabia describing the activism against male guardianship as “incredible and unprecedented”. The joint statement said, “. Wow! Thank you for giving a voice to those people and make people like me aware. Before this, the authorities announced several reforms, including the introduction of tourist visas for citizens of 49 countries. However, restrictions on women remain - most notably, the "male guardianship system", a woman's father, brother, husband or son has the authority to make critical decisions on her behalf. Saudi … Could lab-grown meat help tackle climate change? Women in Saudi Arabia, irrespective of their age, education or employment status,  must have a male guardian, typically a father, brother, husband or uncle (mahram). In 1992, three times as many men studied abroad on government scholarships, although the ratio had been near 50% in the early 1980s. Sources stated that she is held at the Correctional Facility for Women in Riyadh. A judge ordered her detention in 2010 and she spent seven months in prison before activists drew attention to her case and the authorities dropped the charge. Twitter hashtags #IAmMyOwnGuardian and #StopEnslavingSaudiWomen went viral as a large scale campaign. an apparent crackdown on the women's rights movement that saw more than a dozen activists detained. Copy link. But five months later King Salman issued a decree allowing women to access government services without being required to obtain a male guardian’s approval. Saudi Arabia’s guardianship system is based on Islamic religious concepts and imposed on Saudi women regardless of their religion or beliefs. Video. Could lab-grown meat help tackle climate change? I certainly hope that the laws change in Saudi Arabia so that women can be provided with equality.