The committee was set up three months ago and consists of 20 women. “We defend women who are burdened with children, have no money or income and are not aware of their legal rights,” said Bayan Zahran, the group’s founder and chair.

Zahran, a researcher in civil affairs law, said the committee defends women who cannot afford lawyers. “I’ve wanted to help such women for some time and realized I couldn’t do this alone and so came up with the idea of setting up this committee. Many women have volunteered to help,” she added.

Zahran said the committee usually seeks the help of welfare organizations to provide legal support to women and children and enlighten them about their legal rights.

She added that she has taken up about 50 cases free of charge since graduating from law faculty at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah two years ago. She mentioned a lawsuit filed by two young children against their parents, both Arab expatriates, who had disowned them claiming they could not look after them, as among the strangest cases she  has dealt with.

She said the parents disowned the two children and made this official by registering this at their country’s consulate general in Jeddah. “The children had an older 20-year-old brother who looked after them while the case was discussed in the courts,” she said.

She also mentioned the case of a 10-year-old girl who ran away from home, cut her hair short and dressed like a boy because her father has always wanted a son.

“The girl felt guilty as she was female and ran away from home,” she said, adding that the committee filed a case against the father.

Zahran also recalled a story of a woman who complained that her son had become effeminate because he cried one day and his father told him only women cry. The mother said the father wanted to toughen his son up and that her son cries whenever he gets scared or angry, she said.