Equality for women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is still one of the most difficult and complex issues to be discussed. Although everyone has the freedom to talk about all matters of life freely and easily (no matter how sensitive the issue may be), the subject of women’s rights is entirely different and always needs to be considered carefully.
Ignoring a frank and honest debate on this very important subject, though, has led to the exclusion of women from playing an active and effective role in the development of Saudi Arabia, especially when women comprise half of society.
It is undisputed that a woman’s status in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not very enviable. Due to ingrained cultural traditions, Saudi women are not treated equally with men, and this is acting as a major impediment to the Kingdom’s development plans. As a consequence, confusion and chaos have ensued, so that it has become very difficult to distinguish between what is religiously mandated and what is required due to Saudi social customs and traditions.
The Islamic religion clearly appreciates women and their role in life and work. Indeed, Islam does not advocate the old rigid social customs and obsolete traditions that relegated women to the status of second-class citizens. Unfortunately, customs and past practices purporting to be based on Islam have actually distorted the Muslim faith throughout the world.
In reality, Islam treats men and women as equal in many things. As the Qur’an says, “O mankind! We created you all from male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other. Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).” What we can understand from this verse is that women and men are equal in everything, and the only thing that can differentiate them is piety in Allah. In fact, a fair reading of the Qur’an and Hadith proves that the problem is not with Islam, but it is in cultural stereotypes that have dominated the Saudi society for decades.
The absence of a clear boundary between religious and secular thinking has led to the exploitation of the wrong habits and traditions by men and, by extension, the entire society. Although purporting to be based on Islam, men have used Islam as a tool to belittle the role of women in Saudi society.
THE strange thing is that men thought that by marginalizing and repressing women, they would elevate their status in society, when in reality all it does is increase their duties and burdens in life. Men have become solely responsible for all these challenges, when they are actually in need of assistance and contributions from women. As a consequence, the development of this male-dominated society has resulted in an unfortunate increase in the number of divorce cases, immorality, domestic violence, mental illness and greater health problems among men.
In Saudi Arabia today, women are still suffering from the rigid constraints society has placed upon them, where men can control them physically, psychologically, and mentally. For example, a woman is limited to a narrow range of jobs, which she is allowed to perform, in spite of substantial efforts the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has instituted to expand employment opportunities for women.
EVEN though women work, they are still isolated and controlled in all their actions and behavior by men, and Saudi society remains divided into two categories in sharp contrast to all other societies in the world, male and female, although Islam has neither excluded nor restricted women from work.
Unfortunately, male control of women has caused the latter to be ignorant of their rights such as the rights to marry, divorce, dowry, custody, inheritance, travel, and a right to drive. It is absurd that Saudi women still cannot operate a motor vehicle without employing foreign drivers to drive for them.
They have also been prevented from working as sales girls even in shops selling their clothes, while men are permitted to do so. What is the rationale for such a contradiction? Is there any reason other than to keep men and women entirely separate culturally?
Certainly, most Saudi women believe that allowing women to drive a car is not among the most important rights, but the lack of decisive action to resolve this issue and allow half of Saudi society to freely move around the country is disappointing. This issue deserves immediate attention and quick resolution by the government.
There is no doubt that outmoded customs making women subservient to men in the Kingdom has dominated Saudi society and allowed men to exploit this inequality in order to control women, confiscate their rights, destroy their self-esteem, and kill their pride as human beings entitled to equal rights and opportunities.
So what is the solution to this problem that threatens to destroy the future progress of Saudi Arabia? First, no solution will be achieved without the full participation of women, and the Kingdom is no different from any other country that strives to become more civilized and to march forward as a society.
Therefore, it is now time to create a special independent body composed of women to discuss ways of helping women to live, work, and express their opinions as fully as men. This body would strive to spread a culture of women’s rights, defend and assist the appropriate authorities to regulate and create laws to ensure women’s rights are preserved, and protect all legal, civil, social, and family rights. It is up to each one of us to push for Saudi women to be treated equally with men in all aspects of the functioning of our society.
The establishment of a body charged with this responsibility is an indispensable first step.
— Dr. Khalid Alnowaiser is a Saudi lawyer and columnist based in Jeddah. He can be reached at [email protected]
