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SaudiArabiamakesadvanceson women'srights,butstillfarbehind: poll

BYANGUSMCDOWALL
RIYADH Mon Nov 11, 2013 8:15pm EST 0COMMENTS Tweet Share Sharethis
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SaudiwomenshopatAlHayattmallinRiyadhFebruary15,2012.
CREDIT:REUTERS/FAHADSHADEED

(Reuters)LikemostSaudiArabiangirls,RahaalMoharrakwasbannedfromdoingsports atschool,aprohibitiondecreedonreligiousgroundsbythekingdom'spowerfulclerics. ButinMay,shebecamethefirstwomaninhercountrytoclimbMountEverest,theworld's highestpeak,winningwidespreadacclaiminthelocalpressandputtingafacetotheidea thatSaudiwomenaregraduallyexpandingtheirhorizons. "Youcan'tstopchange,"saidMoharrak,a27yearoldgraphicdesigner,whonowlivesin Dubai."Theyoungergenerationknowexactlywhatisoutthere.Everything'satour fingertips." ThefactremainsthatifMoharrakwereathome,shewouldnotbeallowedtodriveacaror performsuchbasictasksasopeningabankaccountortravellingoverseastoscalehernext peakwithoutherfather'spermission,underthekingdom'ssocalledguardianshiplaws. AThomsonReutersFoundationexpertsurveypublishedonTuesdayshowedthatSaudi Arabiaisthethirdworstcountrytobeawomanin22Arabstates,betteronlythanEgypt andIraq(poll2013.trust.org). Thepoll,whichcanvassed336genderexpertsonabroadsweepoffactorsinAugustand September,ratedSaudiArabiapoorlyonwomen'sinvolvementinpolitics,workplace discrimination,freedomofmovementandpropertyrights. ReutersPhotojournalism
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PICTURES

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ButSaudiscoredbetterthanmanyotherArabstateswhenitcametoaccesstoeducation andhealthcare,reproductiverightsandgenderviolence. KingAbdullah,whohasthefinalsayonalmostallSaudiissues,treadscarefullyaroundthe kingdom'spowerfulconservativeclergy,totheconsternationofcriticswhowanttosee fasterreforms. Butitisclearthatinthebigpicture,thekingdomisundergoingagradual,buttectonic, shiftinattitudes. WAHHABISCHOOL SaudiArabia'srulesaremainlyguidedbythekingdom'sIslamiclegalsystem,sharia,the judgesforwhichareclericsoftheWahhabischoolofSunniIslam,withbroadscopetoset andinterpretthelaw. GrandMuftiAbdulazizAlalSheikh,themostseniorsuchclericandfarfromthemost conservative,hasopposedwomenworkinganddrivingandhassaidlettingtheminto politicsmaymean"openingthedoortoevil". Abdullah,whoturns90thisyear,hasdivergedfromtheclergy'spathseveraltimesinthe pastyears,suchasinlate2011whenhegavewomentherighttovoteandrunforofficein localelectionsstartingin2015. InJanuaryhepressedtheirpoliticalparticipationfurther,appointing30womentothe ShouraCouncil,anadvisoryquasiparliamentwheretheynowrepresent20percentofthe previouslyallmalebody. Hehasalsosteadilyloosenedrestrictionsonwomen'semploymentinthepasttwoyears, allowingthemtoreplacemenassalespeopleinlingerieandcosmeticsshopsandtoworkas waitressesinthewomen'ssectionsofrestaurants. ThedebatesswirlingonArabicsocialmediashowstheshiftishappeninginthebroader society,aswell. "SaudiArabiaoverthelastfewyearshaswitnessedsomanychanges.Fromoneyeartothe nextyouseesomanychangesinpublicopinion,"saidHananalAhmadi,oneofthenew ShouraCouncilmembers. "WhenwewentintotheShouraCounciltherewashugeopposition.Weignoredthose voicesandwentoninourjobsandit'sallcalmeddown,"sheadded. HundredsofthousandsofyoungerSaudimenandwomenwhohavebeensenttostudyin foreignuniversitiesonstatefundedscholarshipsreturntothekingdomwithverydifferent ideasabouttheirrelativeplacesintheworld. Inoffices,newspapersandemploymentfairs,youngSaudiwomenvieforjobsthatwould oftenhavebeenclosedtotheirmothers,althoughfemaleunemploymentisnearly36 percent,comparedwithonly6percentformen. InOctober,Abdullahallowedthefirstwomeninthekingdomtobelicensedtopracticeas lawyerswiththerighttorepresentclientsandtoownandruntheirownlawfirms. Thewomenstillfacelogisticalhurdles,suchasgettingtoandfromcourtandhandlingthe banonthemixingofthesexesintheworkplace.ButDaniaAboaloa,ayounglegal consultantwhowasoneofthefirstfemalelegalgraduatesfromKingAbdulazizUniversity, isoptimistic. "Thefutureisclearerandwillencouragemorewomentostudylawandaskformorerights inalegalandwiseway,"saidAboaloa,whoalsostudiedintheUnitedStatesbutdecidedto returntoJeddahbecauseofchangesinthekingdom. "SaudiwomenarelivingataturningpointinSaudihistory.Wearegettingourrightsback," shesaid."ItisadutythatIhavenow,especiallybecauseIamalegalconsultant,thatIask
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forpeople'srights." MALEGUARDIANSHIP Actualprogressforwomen'srightsremains,formanyactivists,achinglyslow,however. Althoughalandmarkdomesticviolencelawwasintroducedthisyear,activistshavecalledit toothlessbecausejudgesmaydecideamaniswithinhisrightstobeathiswife,daughteror sisterifhedisapprovesofherbehavior. Theissueofmaleguardianship,underwhichawomanissubjecttomalesupervisionand permissionfromcradletograveineverythingfromleavingthehousetoleavingthecountry, isparticularlyentrenched. Traditionallyviewedasaprotection,itgovernsnearlyeveryaspectofawoman'slife, includingherabilitytomarryoreventoundergomedicaltreatment. "IwasavictimofviolencefrommyfatherfromwhenIwas14untilIturned30,"said SamarBadawi,awomen'srightsactivistinJeddah."IfIresortedtocallingthepolicethey wouldjustsay:'Heisyourguardian.'Heevenhadmeputinjailforsevenmonthsfor disobeyinghim." Shefinallyescapedherfather'sguardianshipwhenshemarriedherlawyer,adecisionthat herfatheralsoobjectedtobutwhichshemanagedtomakehappenafteralengthycourt battle. BecausetheSaudigovernment'slegitimacyistiedtoitsreligiouscredentials,analystssay thereisnochancetheguardianshiprulesorthesharialegalsystemunderpinningthemwill changeanytimesoon. AnareawheresomewomenactivistsdoseehopeofchangesoonisSaudiArabia'sposition astheonlycountrytobanwomendriving. Thereisnospecificlawortextinshariabackingthemenonlyroadrules,which governmentofficialshaveoftensaidareinplacebecausesocietyisnotyetreadyforwomen todrive. Asmorewomenseekjobs,andmorefamiliescometodependontheirincome,liftingbasic barrierstocheaptransportisbecomingmoreimportant. AuthoritiesclampeddownonanOctobercampaigntoendtheban,butnewspapers,online petitions,prominentSaudisandsomemembersoftherulingfamilyhavepubliclycalledfor therulestochange. Althoughanalystssaythereisaconsensusaroundgradualsocialreformintheruling family,itisnotclearwhetherKingAbdullah'ssuccessorswouldpushashardashehas. OnepersonwhoisnotworriedisPrincessBassmabintMajid,presidentofanoffshootof thealNahdaPhilanthropicSocietyforWomen,whichtrainsandemployspoorand disabledwomentopreserveandrecreatethekingdom'sdistinctivecostumedesigns. "Ithinkwe'vereachedapointwherethereisnogoingback,"shetoldReuters. (AdditionalreportingbyMarwaRashadinRiyadhandLisaAndersoninNewYorkEditing byTimLargeandSonyaHepinstallForfullcoverageofThomsonReutersFoundation's pollonwomen'srightsintheArabworld,includinginteractiveinfographics,visit poll2103.trust.org)
FILEDUNDER: LIFESTYLE SAUDIARABIA Recommend 71 people recommend this. Be the first of your friends. Tweetthis Linkthis Sharethis Diggthis Email Print Reprints

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