http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=ODg1MjU0ODQ0
B Izaak, Staff Writer
KUWAIT: The Constitutional Court yesterday issued a landmark ruling by abrogating an article in the 1962 passports law that banned Kuwaiti women from obtaining their own passports without the prior approval of their husbands.
The ruling, which is final and cannot be appealed, said that the article in the law violates a number of articles in the constitution, especially articles 29, 30 and 31 which guarantee personal freedom. In the ruling, the court also stated that under the constitution, women right to travel cannot be denied by anyone including their husbands because this is one of their basic rights in the constitution.
Female MP Aseel Al-Awadhi welcomed the ruling as a victory for the constitution and democracy in Kuwait, adding that it has eliminated a long injustice against Kuwaiti women. She said that she will work to amend all laws passed by the previous National Assemblies which are in violation of the constitution.
The ruling was triggered when a Kuwaiti woman sued her husband kept her passport and those of their three children and refused to give them. The court ordered the man to give the passports. The constitutional court also said that husbands cannot prevent their wives from travelling without a court order and only when they prove that their travel undermines the interest of both parties.
In another development, the battle for bank loans relief was officially launched yesterday after a number of MPs filed a request to convene a special session to debate the issue on November 17. The request however will be discussed in the assembly's opening session of the new term on October 27 or in early November.
It was signed by MP Saadoun Hammad and nine other MPs, according to Hammad but many more MPs are likely to sign later. The request calls on the assembly's financial and economic affairs committee to study a number of draft laws on the issue and submit its report to the assembly latest by November 10.
The bills call for the government to purchase all existing personal loans on Kuwaiti citizens and then reschedule their repayment over many years after scrapping all interest. The government has so far rejected the bills saying it was ready to increase the capital of a KD500-million fund established last year to help defaulters.
Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali has said that the amount of the loans and interest is KD6 billion and any purchase or write-off will be highly expensive and harmful for national economy. Latest available official figures show that 278,000 Kuwaitis are debtors and around two percent of them are facing problems repaying. Supporters of the debt relief claim to have the support of at least 30 lawmakers, insisting that they will push through the draft law and pass in the assembly.
However MPs supporting the bills have blasted Shamali and threatened to grill him in the assembly over the issue. Islamist-tribal MP Daifallah Buramia yesterday strongly criticized the minister and threatened that he will use his "constitutional tools" against the minister if he does not change his position.
MPs have claimed that around 100,000 Kuwaiti debtors are facing legal action, including arrest, for being unable to repay, and held the finance ministry and the central bank responsible for the crisis. The issue is likely to snowball into a major flashpoint between the government and MPs during the next term unless an acceptable compromise was reached.
Showing posts with label male guardianship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label male guardianship. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Saudi Arabia: Businesswomen want male agent out
Hassna’a Mokhtar | Arab News
JEDDAH: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry confirmed yesterday that some of the ministry’s regional departments were violating a ministerial decree issued in April 2004. The decree states that Saudi women can set up businesses without needing a male agent. Nonetheless, businesswomen have reported that the decree was only implemented in a few locations in the country. The male legal agent is required to conduct affairs with various government organizations. He is granted full powers in company matters and acts with a power of attorney.
“The requirement for a legal agent is an obstacle for many businesswomen,” said Alia Banaja, chairwoman of the Jeddah-based IT company 2 The Point. “I closed down my local operations last week after demanding the removal of this requirement.” According to the decree, a Saudi woman can own and manage her business if her work employs and caters only to women. When, on the other hand, the business is aimed at both men and women, she can own the establishment but has to hire a Saudi man to manage the business.
In March, Banaja started a campaign with a group of businesswomen from the Eastern and Central regions calling for the implementation of the 2004 ministerial decision everywhere in the Kingdom (www.saudibwc.com). The next step was to close down their businesses if their demands for the removal of this requirement were not met. And finally, if closing businesses did not produce positive results from the authorities, they would appeal directly to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. They wanted to have the requirement for a male Saudi general manager canceled, even in the case of a woman’s owning a business that deals with both sexes.
Banaja and other businesswomen spoke to Hassan Aqeel, undersecretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Trade at the end of April. He restated the requirement for a male Saudi manager. “A businesswoman doesn’t need a male legal agent when she manages the work herself in an all-women establishment,” said Aqeel on April 26 to Al-Madina newspaper. “If her business employs or deals with men, then she has to hire a male to manage the affairs of these men.”
Contacted for further comments, Aqeel confirmed the newspaper report.
Nashwa Taher, board member at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Arab News that the Khadija bint Khuwailid Center for businesswomen had printed a small leaflet to educate women on how to limit the authority given to a male manager. “The leaflet has guidelines businesswomen must use when hiring a manager for the business. It clearly defines what authority he is given,” said Taher.
She added that the center was now studying the reasons why a manager had to be hired. “We require more openness for businesswomen. Therefore, we want to update and change old procedures,” said Taher.
Lawyer Tariq Al-Ibrahim, who advised the Khadija bint Khuwailid Center on the legal aspects of the leaflet, said it was the women’s responsibility in the end to limit the male manager’s power. “All it needs is a contract between the businesswoman and the manager specifying the duties and the extent of his control and responsibilities,” he said, adding: “The owner also needs to oversee all the papers and legal contracts that pass through the manager’s hands in order to exercise total control and avoid any future problems.”
JEDDAH: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry confirmed yesterday that some of the ministry’s regional departments were violating a ministerial decree issued in April 2004. The decree states that Saudi women can set up businesses without needing a male agent. Nonetheless, businesswomen have reported that the decree was only implemented in a few locations in the country. The male legal agent is required to conduct affairs with various government organizations. He is granted full powers in company matters and acts with a power of attorney.
“The requirement for a legal agent is an obstacle for many businesswomen,” said Alia Banaja, chairwoman of the Jeddah-based IT company 2 The Point. “I closed down my local operations last week after demanding the removal of this requirement.” According to the decree, a Saudi woman can own and manage her business if her work employs and caters only to women. When, on the other hand, the business is aimed at both men and women, she can own the establishment but has to hire a Saudi man to manage the business.
In March, Banaja started a campaign with a group of businesswomen from the Eastern and Central regions calling for the implementation of the 2004 ministerial decision everywhere in the Kingdom (www.saudibwc.com). The next step was to close down their businesses if their demands for the removal of this requirement were not met. And finally, if closing businesses did not produce positive results from the authorities, they would appeal directly to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. They wanted to have the requirement for a male Saudi general manager canceled, even in the case of a woman’s owning a business that deals with both sexes.
Banaja and other businesswomen spoke to Hassan Aqeel, undersecretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Trade at the end of April. He restated the requirement for a male Saudi manager. “A businesswoman doesn’t need a male legal agent when she manages the work herself in an all-women establishment,” said Aqeel on April 26 to Al-Madina newspaper. “If her business employs or deals with men, then she has to hire a male to manage the affairs of these men.”
Contacted for further comments, Aqeel confirmed the newspaper report.
Nashwa Taher, board member at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Arab News that the Khadija bint Khuwailid Center for businesswomen had printed a small leaflet to educate women on how to limit the authority given to a male manager. “The leaflet has guidelines businesswomen must use when hiring a manager for the business. It clearly defines what authority he is given,” said Taher.
She added that the center was now studying the reasons why a manager had to be hired. “We require more openness for businesswomen. Therefore, we want to update and change old procedures,” said Taher.
Lawyer Tariq Al-Ibrahim, who advised the Khadija bint Khuwailid Center on the legal aspects of the leaflet, said it was the women’s responsibility in the end to limit the male manager’s power. “All it needs is a contract between the businesswoman and the manager specifying the duties and the extent of his control and responsibilities,” he said, adding: “The owner also needs to oversee all the papers and legal contracts that pass through the manager’s hands in order to exercise total control and avoid any future problems.”
Monday, July 28, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Stalemate on 'mahram' condition continues
FINAL CHECK: A student applying for scholarship checks her documents. (AN photo)
By Najah Alosaimi
RIYADH: Manal Al-Quais, a 23-year-old Saudi, won a scholarship from the King Abdullah Scholarship Program to study nursing in Canada. There’s only one problem: She can’t find a close male relative to go with her for the entire duration of the study; they have their own families and responsibilities to attend to.
Recently, two key governmental departments have initiated a debate on how women in Manal’s situation can take advantage of Saudi Arabia’s national scholarship program.
The Higher Education Ministry will not lift the requirement that these students bring a guardian (a close male relative or husband) in order to study abroad, while the governmental Human Rights Commission (HRC) disagrees on the importance of the “mahram” accompanying the students.
“This would help hundreds of women who don’t have male guardians available or ready to go with them to pursue higher education outside,” said HRC spokesman Zuhair Al-Harithy.
In a recommendation sent to the Council of Ministers, the HRC argues that the permission of a guardian should suffice, just as it is done for allowing women to travel unaccompanied.
But for the time being, Higher Education Ministry will stick to the existing policy. Saudi women who go abroad to study at their own expense are exempt from this requirement.
“Any woman student whose guardian leaves the country where she studies will immediately lose financial support,” said Abdullah Al-Moussa, general supervisor of scholarships at the Ministry of Higher Education.
Some guardians prefer to accompany their relatives for a couple of months and return to work and family. And some Saudi women, like Maram, who in her late teens dreams of going to college abroad to study events management, simply do not have any close male relatives.
“The rule expects that every house has a man,” Maram told Arab News, adding that the rules don’t allow her mother to accompany her.
The way the government ensures that Saudi women receiving these scholarships follow the requirements is simple: They don’t give the allowance money to the woman, but rather directly to the guardian whose passport is submitted along with the prospective student during the application process.
“The complaints (on the policy of requiring “mahrams” to accompany these young women) also come from parents,” said Al-Harithy. “They object to the rules that prevent their daughters from studying abroad when they have given their full approval for them to do so.”
Contrary to a popular misconception, women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to travel abroad alone (or without their male relatives) if their guardians give permission. The permission slips are affixed to the passports to show to the authorities.
Al-Harithy pointed out that the HRC efforts in this regard are not only because of individual complaints, but also because of the impact of this rule on society and the economy.
With approximately 30 percent of these scholarships going to women, according to official figures, there are many families with college-bound daughters who can’t afford to send a male relative with them, or the male relatives have their own lives and responsibilities that prevent them from being able to take this time off.
According to media reports, the problem has even led some women to seek out marriages of convenience with men willing to become “temporary husbands” and therefore guardians of these women during their stay abroad.
Sociologist Wafa’a Taibah, a professor at King Saud University and HRC member, expressed concern about these short-term marriages. “Such marriages are based on selfish interests,” she said. “They raise the rate of divorce and adversely affect any children born out of these marriages.”
The guardians themselves are affected. Should they decide to accompany their women relatives, they can end up spending years outside the work force and return to Saudi Arabia jobless.
Abdullah, 31, who did not want to provide his family name, is an example. He works in a legal office, but will soon resign to go to Brisbane, Australia, to act as his sister’s guardian while she earns her Ph.D.
“I will have to resign from my work because the management refused to give me three years’ leave,” he said.
Furthermore, in many cases these men will not be able to legally work in the countries where they reside temporarily. Guardians abroad receive monthly allowances from the ministry for staying with their student relatives.
In some countries, such as the United States and Britain, the guardians receive monthly stipends of SR4,000.
Wajeha Al-Huwaider, a Saudi women’s rights activist, said this policy should change and that there is no legitimate religious basis for prohibiting women from living alone in general.
“If we look around us we will find a number of Saudi women living alone with their kids after divorce, or after their husbands pass away,” she said. “Tribal customs and traditions must not interfere in education because it will slow women empowerment.”
---Arab News
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Bahrain: Bahrain government urged to help women abandoned by their husbands
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
Manama: A group of women abandoned by their husbands have called on Bahrain’s decision-makers to help put an end to their "abominable suffering".
The women held a rally in front of the justice and Islamic affairs ministry to press for their demands to have the courts decide without further procrastination on their fate after their husbands deserted them but without divorcing them.
Under the law, the women are still married to husbands whom they did not meet or see for years, a fact that prevents them from starting new lives.
"We urge the King and the parliament to help us with our suffering. We want our rights and we want to regain our dignity," read some of the posters carried by the women and some of their children during the 30-minute demonstration.
Last month, two "abandoned" women protested in front of the ministry requesting the courts to look into their cases and not delay them. Their anger and courage sparked the formation of a larger group of women who were abandoned by their husbands to call for the regularizing of their status. Their demonstration on Tuesday, approved by the interior ministry, was the first in Bahrain’s history.
---Gulf News
Manama: A group of women abandoned by their husbands have called on Bahrain’s decision-makers to help put an end to their "abominable suffering".
The women held a rally in front of the justice and Islamic affairs ministry to press for their demands to have the courts decide without further procrastination on their fate after their husbands deserted them but without divorcing them.
Under the law, the women are still married to husbands whom they did not meet or see for years, a fact that prevents them from starting new lives.
"We urge the King and the parliament to help us with our suffering. We want our rights and we want to regain our dignity," read some of the posters carried by the women and some of their children during the 30-minute demonstration.
Last month, two "abandoned" women protested in front of the ministry requesting the courts to look into their cases and not delay them. Their anger and courage sparked the formation of a larger group of women who were abandoned by their husbands to call for the regularizing of their status. Their demonstration on Tuesday, approved by the interior ministry, was the first in Bahrain’s history.
---Gulf News
Monday, May 19, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Al-Angari Blames Ignorance of Rights for Women’s Plight
JEDDAH, 19 May 2008 — Ignorance, lack of awareness about their rights and lack of appreciation by society are why Saudi women are in their current situation.
This was emphasized by Al-Jowhara Al-Angari, vice chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) on Saturday night at a meeting organized by the Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).
Basmah Omair, the center director, introduced Al-Angari and requested that all mobiles be placed on silent mode.
Al-Angari’s wide-ranging discussion covered most aspects concerning women and she exhorted them to take an active role in making a difference. “When a door is locked, it is not going to open on its own. You’ve got to bang on it, on and on for it to open,” said Al-Angari. “Women are afflicted with ignorance. We can’t claim our rights unless we know them.”
Al-Angari said that women in Islam have legal, social, political and civil rights. Islamic tolerance should not be confused with social norms and traditions. Women in early Islam were recognized as individuals with rights and voices and they acted accordingly. She illustrated this with examples from Islamic history. Citing that history, she questioned where, in comparison, women are today.
“Women pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace be upon him). During the Al-Hudaybiya Treaty, the Prophet asked his wife Umm Salamah for advice which he later took,” added Al-Angari. “Asma bint Abu Bakr (daughter of one of the Prophet’s companions) carried food and water on foot alone to the Prophet and her father when they took refuge in Thawr Cave, outside Makkah,” she cited as another example of women’s initiative during the Prophet’s time.
She urged the almost 600 women present to know their rights and ask for them.
As Al-Angari continued with the discussion, more women — one or two with their children — continued to join the session. As she spoke, every now and then “Bless her” or “May Allah give her life” could be heard among those seated. The discussion drew women from all levels of society.
In the middle of the discussion, a couple of mobiles rang and Basmah Omair repeated her request that all mobiles be put on silent mode. At this point in one of the front rows, an elderly woman whose mobile was disturbing the meeting fumbled briefly with the phone before asking those around her to silence her ringing mobile. A mother continuously rocked her infant to keep her quiet throughout the session in order to benefit from the discussion. Women sitting beside her were seen to help her in her attempt to keep the child quiet.
All the women heard Al-Angari mention how Saudi women’s contributions and merits were further reinforced by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s inclusion of women in delegations during his state visits. The king continuously meets with Saudi women from different fields to discuss various issues. This is nothing new as far as Muslims are concerned. During Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s reign in 634 AH, Muslim women took the lead in different ways. He appointed Samra bint Nuhayk Al-Asadiyya as a market inspector in Makkah and Ash-Shifa bint Abdullah as an administrator of the market in Madinah. Later, Ash-Shifa was appointed as the head of health and safety in Basra, Iraq.
In comparison, the current status of Saudi women is far behind the times. But the situation of women and the discrimination they endure worldwide is much the same. “One in four women in the world suffers from physical abuse. One in three women is illiterate and one in two women suffers from poverty,” said Al-Angari. “Women are not paid the same as men for doing the same job in different parts of the world.”
While Saudi women are paid the same as men — this is a law — they cannot be released from prison without a legal male guardian despite a Saudi law which states otherwise. “The law says that it is prohibited to delay the procedure of releasing the prisoners,” Al-Angari said, adding that a prisoner — man or woman — must be released immediately after completing their sentence.
Al-Angari went on to mention other forms of discrimination Saudi women are subjected to.
Inheritance laws are not applicable to Saudi women married to non-Saudi men and their non-Saudi children. Her family, excluding her husband and children, inherits her assets. Additionally, Saudi women cannot donate their organs after death without the consent of legal guardians.
Another major problem is that regulations and laws pertaining to women are not implemented.
For example, Al-Angari said, according to Saudi law, a 45-year-old woman can travel without the presence or the consent of a legal male guardian. Not only is this not implemented, it is not even publicly known. “The reason why women are so ignorant of their rights is because they are not taught their rights in schools,” said Al-Angari.
Aside from the lack of implementation and knowledge of the laws, she attributed problem areas to some of the regulations themselves. “33.60 percent of the civil status issues that we receive in NSHR show that there is a deficiency in some regulations,” Al-Angari explained.
“A mother of four girls went to her husband who was in jail for drug abuse and possession. She wanted his consent so she could get a job. The husband refused. She then went to the judge, filing for ‘khula’ (divorce by redemption). The judge ordered that she return the dowry,” said Al-Angari, wondering aloud how the woman could get the money for the “khula” when, in the first place, she was in search of a job because she had no money.
During the discussion, one woman raised the issue of men using the family card to buy shares and conduct business projects in the name of their wives without the wives’ knowledge. To that, Al-Angari said: “A civil family code should be established and handed to every woman when her identification card is issued in order to inform her of her rights. This is a system implemented in many Arab countries.”
When a woman touched upon the issue of many holding premium accounts in banks, Basmah Omair responded that for a woman to invest, she must appoint a male representative who has power of attorney. Unfortunately, there are many cases when the power of attorney is abused; hence many women prefer to keep their money in their bank accounts. She then emphasized that the Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center provided legal assistance for women investors in drawing up a specified power of attorney which does not give absolute power to the representative.
Another woman said that she had many friends formerly married to educated and open-minded men. However, their husbands deprived the women of their children — custody and visitation rights — after divorce. “Islamically, this isn’t correct,” she said and then quoted a verse from the Qur’an: “No soul shall have imposed upon it a duty but to the extent of its capacity; neither shall a mother be made to suffer harm on account of her child, nor a father on account of his child, and a similar duty (devolves) on the (father’s) heir.”
Throughout the meeting, Al-Angari emphasized the responsibility and obligation women have to themselves and each other. The meeting ended with many women asking that men also be educated about women’s rights.
By Hassna’a Mokhtar, Laura Bashraheel & Somayya Jabarti, Arab News
This was emphasized by Al-Jowhara Al-Angari, vice chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) on Saturday night at a meeting organized by the Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).
Basmah Omair, the center director, introduced Al-Angari and requested that all mobiles be placed on silent mode.
Al-Angari’s wide-ranging discussion covered most aspects concerning women and she exhorted them to take an active role in making a difference. “When a door is locked, it is not going to open on its own. You’ve got to bang on it, on and on for it to open,” said Al-Angari. “Women are afflicted with ignorance. We can’t claim our rights unless we know them.”
Al-Angari said that women in Islam have legal, social, political and civil rights. Islamic tolerance should not be confused with social norms and traditions. Women in early Islam were recognized as individuals with rights and voices and they acted accordingly. She illustrated this with examples from Islamic history. Citing that history, she questioned where, in comparison, women are today.
“Women pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace be upon him). During the Al-Hudaybiya Treaty, the Prophet asked his wife Umm Salamah for advice which he later took,” added Al-Angari. “Asma bint Abu Bakr (daughter of one of the Prophet’s companions) carried food and water on foot alone to the Prophet and her father when they took refuge in Thawr Cave, outside Makkah,” she cited as another example of women’s initiative during the Prophet’s time.
She urged the almost 600 women present to know their rights and ask for them.
As Al-Angari continued with the discussion, more women — one or two with their children — continued to join the session. As she spoke, every now and then “Bless her” or “May Allah give her life” could be heard among those seated. The discussion drew women from all levels of society.
In the middle of the discussion, a couple of mobiles rang and Basmah Omair repeated her request that all mobiles be put on silent mode. At this point in one of the front rows, an elderly woman whose mobile was disturbing the meeting fumbled briefly with the phone before asking those around her to silence her ringing mobile. A mother continuously rocked her infant to keep her quiet throughout the session in order to benefit from the discussion. Women sitting beside her were seen to help her in her attempt to keep the child quiet.
All the women heard Al-Angari mention how Saudi women’s contributions and merits were further reinforced by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s inclusion of women in delegations during his state visits. The king continuously meets with Saudi women from different fields to discuss various issues. This is nothing new as far as Muslims are concerned. During Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s reign in 634 AH, Muslim women took the lead in different ways. He appointed Samra bint Nuhayk Al-Asadiyya as a market inspector in Makkah and Ash-Shifa bint Abdullah as an administrator of the market in Madinah. Later, Ash-Shifa was appointed as the head of health and safety in Basra, Iraq.
In comparison, the current status of Saudi women is far behind the times. But the situation of women and the discrimination they endure worldwide is much the same. “One in four women in the world suffers from physical abuse. One in three women is illiterate and one in two women suffers from poverty,” said Al-Angari. “Women are not paid the same as men for doing the same job in different parts of the world.”
While Saudi women are paid the same as men — this is a law — they cannot be released from prison without a legal male guardian despite a Saudi law which states otherwise. “The law says that it is prohibited to delay the procedure of releasing the prisoners,” Al-Angari said, adding that a prisoner — man or woman — must be released immediately after completing their sentence.
Al-Angari went on to mention other forms of discrimination Saudi women are subjected to.
Inheritance laws are not applicable to Saudi women married to non-Saudi men and their non-Saudi children. Her family, excluding her husband and children, inherits her assets. Additionally, Saudi women cannot donate their organs after death without the consent of legal guardians.
Another major problem is that regulations and laws pertaining to women are not implemented.
For example, Al-Angari said, according to Saudi law, a 45-year-old woman can travel without the presence or the consent of a legal male guardian. Not only is this not implemented, it is not even publicly known. “The reason why women are so ignorant of their rights is because they are not taught their rights in schools,” said Al-Angari.
Aside from the lack of implementation and knowledge of the laws, she attributed problem areas to some of the regulations themselves. “33.60 percent of the civil status issues that we receive in NSHR show that there is a deficiency in some regulations,” Al-Angari explained.
“A mother of four girls went to her husband who was in jail for drug abuse and possession. She wanted his consent so she could get a job. The husband refused. She then went to the judge, filing for ‘khula’ (divorce by redemption). The judge ordered that she return the dowry,” said Al-Angari, wondering aloud how the woman could get the money for the “khula” when, in the first place, she was in search of a job because she had no money.
During the discussion, one woman raised the issue of men using the family card to buy shares and conduct business projects in the name of their wives without the wives’ knowledge. To that, Al-Angari said: “A civil family code should be established and handed to every woman when her identification card is issued in order to inform her of her rights. This is a system implemented in many Arab countries.”
When a woman touched upon the issue of many holding premium accounts in banks, Basmah Omair responded that for a woman to invest, she must appoint a male representative who has power of attorney. Unfortunately, there are many cases when the power of attorney is abused; hence many women prefer to keep their money in their bank accounts. She then emphasized that the Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center provided legal assistance for women investors in drawing up a specified power of attorney which does not give absolute power to the representative.
Another woman said that she had many friends formerly married to educated and open-minded men. However, their husbands deprived the women of their children — custody and visitation rights — after divorce. “Islamically, this isn’t correct,” she said and then quoted a verse from the Qur’an: “No soul shall have imposed upon it a duty but to the extent of its capacity; neither shall a mother be made to suffer harm on account of her child, nor a father on account of his child, and a similar duty (devolves) on the (father’s) heir.”
Throughout the meeting, Al-Angari emphasized the responsibility and obligation women have to themselves and each other. The meeting ended with many women asking that men also be educated about women’s rights.
By Hassna’a Mokhtar, Laura Bashraheel & Somayya Jabarti, Arab News
Monday, May 12, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Minister denies women robbed of rights
Riyadh: Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz has vehemently denied allegations by some international human rights organisations that Saudi women are deprived of many of their basic rights, saying "these are utter lies and full of exaggerations."
He asserted that Saudi Arabia gives women, who make up nearly half of the population, honour and respect.
Prince Nayef was speaking to reporters after opening a symposium on Saudi Family and Contemporary Changes organised by the Saudi Scientific Society for Meeting and Social Service at the Imam Mohammad Bin Saud Islamic University on Sunday evening.The minister was reacting to a recent report by the New York-based Human Rights Watch, in which it called on the kingdom to end the practice of sex segregation and policies that make male relatives the legal guardians of women.
The report alleged "the Saudi government sacrifices basic human rights to maintain male control over women."
Defending the kingdom's position regarding women, Prince Nayef reiterated that Saudi women are enjoying their legitimate rights ever since the birth of Islam in general and the foundation of the kingdom in particular.
"Saudi society respects women as mothers, sisters, wives and daughters. She gets respect in all respects," he said.
Prince Nayef compared Saudi society, which sacrifices itself and its blood to safeguard the dignity and honour of woman with societies that ignore women so they are compelled to expose themselves on the streets to make a living.
"In some other countries, a woman is regarded as a means to earn a livelihood for men. Why don't these people respect women and give them their due rights so that they need not go out searching for food?"
Prince Nayef added that women's basic responsibility is to bring up the younger generation to have sound social values and a strong faith based on a true creed and it is the duty of a man to look after his wife and children.
Earlier, addressing the symposium, Prince Nayef said the kingdom's basic governing system has made the family a nucleus of Saudi society, raising its members on the principles of Islamic faith. He also warned against the adverse effects of imported immoral ideas.
"It will be difficult for the Muslim family to confront such an imported culture which has freely entered our houses with its sophisticated techniques and methods of temptation," he said adding, "We are counting heavily on such forums in promoting family values and renewing the role of the family, standing firm against all challenges the Muslim family faces."
By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent, Gulf News
He asserted that Saudi Arabia gives women, who make up nearly half of the population, honour and respect.
Prince Nayef was speaking to reporters after opening a symposium on Saudi Family and Contemporary Changes organised by the Saudi Scientific Society for Meeting and Social Service at the Imam Mohammad Bin Saud Islamic University on Sunday evening.The minister was reacting to a recent report by the New York-based Human Rights Watch, in which it called on the kingdom to end the practice of sex segregation and policies that make male relatives the legal guardians of women.
The report alleged "the Saudi government sacrifices basic human rights to maintain male control over women."
Defending the kingdom's position regarding women, Prince Nayef reiterated that Saudi women are enjoying their legitimate rights ever since the birth of Islam in general and the foundation of the kingdom in particular.
"Saudi society respects women as mothers, sisters, wives and daughters. She gets respect in all respects," he said.
Prince Nayef compared Saudi society, which sacrifices itself and its blood to safeguard the dignity and honour of woman with societies that ignore women so they are compelled to expose themselves on the streets to make a living.
"In some other countries, a woman is regarded as a means to earn a livelihood for men. Why don't these people respect women and give them their due rights so that they need not go out searching for food?"
Prince Nayef added that women's basic responsibility is to bring up the younger generation to have sound social values and a strong faith based on a true creed and it is the duty of a man to look after his wife and children.
Earlier, addressing the symposium, Prince Nayef said the kingdom's basic governing system has made the family a nucleus of Saudi society, raising its members on the principles of Islamic faith. He also warned against the adverse effects of imported immoral ideas.
"It will be difficult for the Muslim family to confront such an imported culture which has freely entered our houses with its sophisticated techniques and methods of temptation," he said adding, "We are counting heavily on such forums in promoting family values and renewing the role of the family, standing firm against all challenges the Muslim family faces."
By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent, Gulf News
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Our women must be protected: A report that publicises the plight of Saudi women
THE first and second time her husband shot her, the distressed woman in her 30s rejected advice to file a complaint. To do so, she explained, would require the presence of her obligatory male guardian, who happened to be...her husband. Without him, her testimony would not be legally valid. Besides, the all-male police might accuse her of “mixing” with the opposite sex, a crime in the eyes of most Saudi judges. The third time her husband shot her, she died.
This tale, told by a Saudi social worker in a new report on women's rights in the kingdom, is particularly harrowing. Yet it dramatises the more mundane plight of millions of Saudi women who are unable by law to study, work, travel, marry, testify in court, legalise a contract or undergo medical treatment without the assent of a close male relative, be he a father, husband or, less commonly, a grandfather, brother or son.
That Saudi women are banned from driving is well-known. But it is the imposition of male guardianship over adult women, affirms the detailed report by Human Rights Watch, a New York-based monitoring group, that is the biggest obstacle to female advancement.
As the report points out, half the kingdom's citizens are treated in effect like children or the mentally ill for the duration of their lives. Worse, the guardianship policy creates a paradox: women may be held legally responsible for a crime, even though they are not deemed to have full legal capacity.
Oddly enough, there appear to be no written statutes mandating male guardianship for women. In the religiously conservative kingdom, where Muslim sharia law is held to override all other rules, the practice stems instead from extremist Wahhabi interpretations of Muslim scripture, particularly from a Koranic passage that describes men as the “protectors and keepers of women”. Sadly for Saudi women, the all-male Saudi judiciary is made up entirely of Wahhabi extremists.
Despite having signed various international charters for women's rights, the Saudi government has done little either to modify the system or to enforce the minor reforms it has sponsored.
Theoretically, for instance, women above the age of 45 no longer need a male guardian's permission to travel, yet airport officials routinely demand it anyway. A judge may, in theory, release a woman from the guardianship of an abusive parent or spouse, but only 1-2% of such appeals succeed, says a lawyer in the report. More than half of university students are women, yet they make up a tiny fraction of the workforce. This year will see the first-ever crop of female law graduates, but the justice ministry is unlikely to license any to practise, and judges are even less likely to allow them in their courtrooms.
Liberal-minded Saudis have long criticised such foibles, comparing the kingdom unfavourably to Muslim and Arab neighbours where women are far less restricted. Even those Saudis who uphold their traditions as defending female “honour” may take note of another woman's testimony to Human Rights Watch. A mother tells her daughter why she remarried: “I sold my body so that my paperwork can get taken care of. It tarnished my reputation and dignity, but our affairs are getting resolved.”
Optimists say the mere fact that the Saudi authorities let Human Rights Watch compile its report in situ is progress; four years ago the idea would have been damned as foreign interference. Last month, senior representatives from eight ministries met people from the rights group in Saudi Arabia and politely discussed the report ahead of publication, insisting that they could all “work together”.
The Saudis' officially sanctioned National Human Rights Commission, set up four years ago, privately agreed with many of the recommendations, predicting, among other things, that women would be allowed to drive cars “in the near future”—but such hopeful assurances have been given before. And, though one newspaper, the relatively liberal al-Watan, has aired parts of the report, the Saudi media have generally ignored it.
-- The Economist
This tale, told by a Saudi social worker in a new report on women's rights in the kingdom, is particularly harrowing. Yet it dramatises the more mundane plight of millions of Saudi women who are unable by law to study, work, travel, marry, testify in court, legalise a contract or undergo medical treatment without the assent of a close male relative, be he a father, husband or, less commonly, a grandfather, brother or son.
That Saudi women are banned from driving is well-known. But it is the imposition of male guardianship over adult women, affirms the detailed report by Human Rights Watch, a New York-based monitoring group, that is the biggest obstacle to female advancement.
As the report points out, half the kingdom's citizens are treated in effect like children or the mentally ill for the duration of their lives. Worse, the guardianship policy creates a paradox: women may be held legally responsible for a crime, even though they are not deemed to have full legal capacity.
Oddly enough, there appear to be no written statutes mandating male guardianship for women. In the religiously conservative kingdom, where Muslim sharia law is held to override all other rules, the practice stems instead from extremist Wahhabi interpretations of Muslim scripture, particularly from a Koranic passage that describes men as the “protectors and keepers of women”. Sadly for Saudi women, the all-male Saudi judiciary is made up entirely of Wahhabi extremists.
Despite having signed various international charters for women's rights, the Saudi government has done little either to modify the system or to enforce the minor reforms it has sponsored.
Theoretically, for instance, women above the age of 45 no longer need a male guardian's permission to travel, yet airport officials routinely demand it anyway. A judge may, in theory, release a woman from the guardianship of an abusive parent or spouse, but only 1-2% of such appeals succeed, says a lawyer in the report. More than half of university students are women, yet they make up a tiny fraction of the workforce. This year will see the first-ever crop of female law graduates, but the justice ministry is unlikely to license any to practise, and judges are even less likely to allow them in their courtrooms.
Liberal-minded Saudis have long criticised such foibles, comparing the kingdom unfavourably to Muslim and Arab neighbours where women are far less restricted. Even those Saudis who uphold their traditions as defending female “honour” may take note of another woman's testimony to Human Rights Watch. A mother tells her daughter why she remarried: “I sold my body so that my paperwork can get taken care of. It tarnished my reputation and dignity, but our affairs are getting resolved.”
Optimists say the mere fact that the Saudi authorities let Human Rights Watch compile its report in situ is progress; four years ago the idea would have been damned as foreign interference. Last month, senior representatives from eight ministries met people from the rights group in Saudi Arabia and politely discussed the report ahead of publication, insisting that they could all “work together”.
The Saudis' officially sanctioned National Human Rights Commission, set up four years ago, privately agreed with many of the recommendations, predicting, among other things, that women would be allowed to drive cars “in the near future”—but such hopeful assurances have been given before. And, though one newspaper, the relatively liberal al-Watan, has aired parts of the report, the Saudi media have generally ignored it.
-- The Economist
Monday, April 21, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Guardianship key to women rights abuse
RIYADH - Saudi Arabia's system of male "guardianship" or wide-ranging control over women lies at the heart of rights abuse in the conservative Islamic state, U.S.-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday.
But a government spokesman said Saudi Arabia was disappointed the report had failed to highlight efforts to improve women's status and confused tradition with state policy.
"We agree with some points and we are working on that as a commission for the government, but we don't agree with the generalisation," said Zoheir al-Harithi, spokesman for Saudi's Human Rights Commission.
Saudi Arabia is one of the most conservative countries in the world. Tradition and the Islamic clerical establishment restrict women's movement, preventing them from driving cars.
Saudi women must usually obtain permission from a "guardian" -- father, husband, or son -- to work, travel, study, marry, or get access to healthcare, HRW said in the study, "Perpetual Minors: Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia".
"The Saudi government sacrifices basic human rights to maintain male control over women," Farida Deif, Human Rights Watch women's rights researcher for the Middle East, said in a statement sent to Reuters.
"Saudi women won't make any progress until the government ends the abuses that stem from these misguided policies."
Since King Abdullah came to power in 2005, the government has said it supports a reform agenda but that it cannot enforce changes if significant sections of society continue to resist.
Clerics of the state-sanctioned brand of Sunni Islam, a strict form often termed Wahhabism, see the "muhrim", or guardian of women's honour, as central to the system of social and moral control in the country.
The rules -- the subject of heated national debate -- are enforced by the judiciary and a morals police body, both of which are run by Wahhabi clerics.
The government has allowed Human Rights Watch unprecedented access over the past two years, and more women have been able to enter the workforce. This year new regulations allowed women to stay in hotels without a guardian.
"The authorities essentially treat adult women like legal minors who are not entitled to authority over their lives and well-being," the HRW report says, citing a list of complaints based on interviews with about 100 women.
It says women cannot open bank accounts for children, enrol them in school, obtain school files, or travel with their children without written permission from the child's father.
Women are also prevented from accessing government agencies that have not established female sections unless they have a male representative, and the need to establish separate office space discourages firms from hiring women, it said.
"We know some customs and traditions prevent women having their complete rights, but you cannot say they are 'legal minors'," said the Saudi HRC's Harithi. "They are doctors, teach in universities, are elected to the chambers of commerce."
- Reuters
But a government spokesman said Saudi Arabia was disappointed the report had failed to highlight efforts to improve women's status and confused tradition with state policy.
"We agree with some points and we are working on that as a commission for the government, but we don't agree with the generalisation," said Zoheir al-Harithi, spokesman for Saudi's Human Rights Commission.
Saudi Arabia is one of the most conservative countries in the world. Tradition and the Islamic clerical establishment restrict women's movement, preventing them from driving cars.
Saudi women must usually obtain permission from a "guardian" -- father, husband, or son -- to work, travel, study, marry, or get access to healthcare, HRW said in the study, "Perpetual Minors: Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia".
"The Saudi government sacrifices basic human rights to maintain male control over women," Farida Deif, Human Rights Watch women's rights researcher for the Middle East, said in a statement sent to Reuters.
"Saudi women won't make any progress until the government ends the abuses that stem from these misguided policies."
Since King Abdullah came to power in 2005, the government has said it supports a reform agenda but that it cannot enforce changes if significant sections of society continue to resist.
Clerics of the state-sanctioned brand of Sunni Islam, a strict form often termed Wahhabism, see the "muhrim", or guardian of women's honour, as central to the system of social and moral control in the country.
The rules -- the subject of heated national debate -- are enforced by the judiciary and a morals police body, both of which are run by Wahhabi clerics.
The government has allowed Human Rights Watch unprecedented access over the past two years, and more women have been able to enter the workforce. This year new regulations allowed women to stay in hotels without a guardian.
"The authorities essentially treat adult women like legal minors who are not entitled to authority over their lives and well-being," the HRW report says, citing a list of complaints based on interviews with about 100 women.
It says women cannot open bank accounts for children, enrol them in school, obtain school files, or travel with their children without written permission from the child's father.
Women are also prevented from accessing government agencies that have not established female sections unless they have a male representative, and the need to establish separate office space discourages firms from hiring women, it said.
"We know some customs and traditions prevent women having their complete rights, but you cannot say they are 'legal minors'," said the Saudi HRC's Harithi. "They are doctors, teach in universities, are elected to the chambers of commerce."
- Reuters
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Yemen: Parliament refuses to legislate minimum age for marriage
Despite pressure, an 8-year-old girl’s husband refused to set her free. Simultaneously, Yemeni Parliament does not consider early marriage as a priority and is not moving forward with legislation to prevent it.
The Yemeni Parliament, through its Evaluation and Jurisprudence Committee, rejected a request to amend the personal status law presented by the Women’s National Committee (WNC). Women’s movements and civil society in Yemen along with 61 Parliament members have advocated a law that legislates a minimum marriage age of 18 for both males and females.
However, the Jurisprudence Committee claims there are no legislative grounds to impose such a law based on its understanding of Islam.
“Not only is it not Islamic, it is even inhuman to subject our girls to such an experience. We must continue to fight for the sake of a better future for our daughters,” said Rashida Al-Hamadani, chairperson of the WNC.
Sixty-one Parliament members (MPs) were recently part of a Safe Motherhood project that included an item for early marriage. However, the issue was rejected by the Evaluation and Jurisprudence Committee, which said it is a health issue and cannot be generalized. The issue was passed to Parliament’s Health Committee, where it will reside for an unknown duration.Yet a number of MPs feel that this issue deserves better attention.
“If it is my personal opinion I believe 18 is the right age, because marriage is such a big responsibility,” said MP Fuad Dahaba, an Islah party member.
A live case
Shatha Mohammed Nasser, a lawyer in the Supreme Court, said that the case of Nujood Ali, an 8-year-old girl who was forced to marry, is an excellent opportunity to push such legislation forward.
“There are hundreds of Nujoods who have been subjected to sexual abuse by mature men. The problem is that there is no law to punish the father who marries off the child, the sheikh who allows the marriage, or the husband who takes the child home to serve him as a wife,” said Nasser.
Although he is currently in custody, Nujood’s husband has rejected her demand to be divorced.
“I will not divorce her, and it is my right to keep her. No need to sleep with her, at least I can have her as a wife. No power can stop me,” the husband, Faez Ali Thamer, said. “It is not a matter of loving her, I don’t, but it’s just a challenge to her and her uncle who think that they can put me in jail and also the judge has no right to bring me here. How did she dare to complain about me?” he threatened.
Nujood went to Sana’a West Court on April 2 and demanded that the judge grant a divorce between her and her 30-year-old husband, who had physically and sexually abused her for two months. She also filed a case against her father, who married her off to Thamer. Judge Muhammed Al-Qadhi was sympathetic and ordered both husband and father to be kept in custody; however, the latter was released later on health grounds.
However, neither the husband nor the father have legally committed any crime, according to Yemeni law. The husband is only in custody because the judge was sympathetic to Nujood, sheltering her for four days in his house before sending her to her uncle’s house. Nujood’s uncle additionally supported her in her demand to be divorced. Today Nujood remains at her uncle’s home until she is transferred to a care center, where she will be safer.
Nasser has taken the responsibility to follow Nujood’s case and she calls on national as well as international organizations and individuals to apply pressure in order to put an end to such practices in Yemen. “I am afraid that the husband will escape from punishment because according to Yemeni custom and law he has not done anything wrong. Even if there is a law, no one respects the law,” added Nasser.
Nujood comes from a poor and broken family. She also has a six-year-old sister that might face the same fate as Nujood, if not worse.
Nasser hopes that the two girls can be rescued somehow and sent abroad, where they will find safety and a positive environment where they can grow and prosper.
One issue, many victimsAlthough Nujood’s case is considered the first of its kind where a minor prosecutes her father for marrying her off at a young age and subjecting her to harm, there are many cases of Yemeni girls who have been married at a young age.
Early marriage is “one of the biggest development challenges in Yemen,” said Naseem Ur Rehman, chief information officer for UNICEF in Sana’a, on a previous occasion, adding, “This is because no groups have yet outgrown the practice.”
A 2006 field study revealed that child marriage among Yemeni girls reached 52.1%, compared to 6.7% among males. The study, conducted by the Woman and Development Study Center, affiliated to Sana’a University, looked at 1,495 couples, concluding that there is a huge age gap between the spouses.
The study established a comparison between ages of spouses in their first marriage through three generations. It disclosed that marriage age raised gradually from an average of 10.24 years to 14.70 years for women and from 20.97 to 21.54 years for men. It indicated that the average marriage age varies from one geographical area to another; for example, it showed that girls in Hodeidah and Hadramout married at the average age of eight, while in Mukalla the average age was 10.
Hasinah Al-Gader, head of the research center, stated that the study educated approximately 95 percent of religious men and a sampling of parents promoting early marriage, especially in conservative areas, about the importance of delaying marriage, as this is in the best interest of youth and society at large and not against Islamic principles.
By Hamed Thabet from the Yemen Times
The Yemeni Parliament, through its Evaluation and Jurisprudence Committee, rejected a request to amend the personal status law presented by the Women’s National Committee (WNC). Women’s movements and civil society in Yemen along with 61 Parliament members have advocated a law that legislates a minimum marriage age of 18 for both males and females.
However, the Jurisprudence Committee claims there are no legislative grounds to impose such a law based on its understanding of Islam.
“Not only is it not Islamic, it is even inhuman to subject our girls to such an experience. We must continue to fight for the sake of a better future for our daughters,” said Rashida Al-Hamadani, chairperson of the WNC.
Sixty-one Parliament members (MPs) were recently part of a Safe Motherhood project that included an item for early marriage. However, the issue was rejected by the Evaluation and Jurisprudence Committee, which said it is a health issue and cannot be generalized. The issue was passed to Parliament’s Health Committee, where it will reside for an unknown duration.Yet a number of MPs feel that this issue deserves better attention.
“If it is my personal opinion I believe 18 is the right age, because marriage is such a big responsibility,” said MP Fuad Dahaba, an Islah party member.
A live case
Shatha Mohammed Nasser, a lawyer in the Supreme Court, said that the case of Nujood Ali, an 8-year-old girl who was forced to marry, is an excellent opportunity to push such legislation forward.
“There are hundreds of Nujoods who have been subjected to sexual abuse by mature men. The problem is that there is no law to punish the father who marries off the child, the sheikh who allows the marriage, or the husband who takes the child home to serve him as a wife,” said Nasser.
Although he is currently in custody, Nujood’s husband has rejected her demand to be divorced.
“I will not divorce her, and it is my right to keep her. No need to sleep with her, at least I can have her as a wife. No power can stop me,” the husband, Faez Ali Thamer, said. “It is not a matter of loving her, I don’t, but it’s just a challenge to her and her uncle who think that they can put me in jail and also the judge has no right to bring me here. How did she dare to complain about me?” he threatened.
Nujood went to Sana’a West Court on April 2 and demanded that the judge grant a divorce between her and her 30-year-old husband, who had physically and sexually abused her for two months. She also filed a case against her father, who married her off to Thamer. Judge Muhammed Al-Qadhi was sympathetic and ordered both husband and father to be kept in custody; however, the latter was released later on health grounds.
However, neither the husband nor the father have legally committed any crime, according to Yemeni law. The husband is only in custody because the judge was sympathetic to Nujood, sheltering her for four days in his house before sending her to her uncle’s house. Nujood’s uncle additionally supported her in her demand to be divorced. Today Nujood remains at her uncle’s home until she is transferred to a care center, where she will be safer.
Nasser has taken the responsibility to follow Nujood’s case and she calls on national as well as international organizations and individuals to apply pressure in order to put an end to such practices in Yemen. “I am afraid that the husband will escape from punishment because according to Yemeni custom and law he has not done anything wrong. Even if there is a law, no one respects the law,” added Nasser.
Nujood comes from a poor and broken family. She also has a six-year-old sister that might face the same fate as Nujood, if not worse.
Nasser hopes that the two girls can be rescued somehow and sent abroad, where they will find safety and a positive environment where they can grow and prosper.
One issue, many victimsAlthough Nujood’s case is considered the first of its kind where a minor prosecutes her father for marrying her off at a young age and subjecting her to harm, there are many cases of Yemeni girls who have been married at a young age.
Early marriage is “one of the biggest development challenges in Yemen,” said Naseem Ur Rehman, chief information officer for UNICEF in Sana’a, on a previous occasion, adding, “This is because no groups have yet outgrown the practice.”
A 2006 field study revealed that child marriage among Yemeni girls reached 52.1%, compared to 6.7% among males. The study, conducted by the Woman and Development Study Center, affiliated to Sana’a University, looked at 1,495 couples, concluding that there is a huge age gap between the spouses.
The study established a comparison between ages of spouses in their first marriage through three generations. It disclosed that marriage age raised gradually from an average of 10.24 years to 14.70 years for women and from 20.97 to 21.54 years for men. It indicated that the average marriage age varies from one geographical area to another; for example, it showed that girls in Hodeidah and Hadramout married at the average age of eight, while in Mukalla the average age was 10.
Hasinah Al-Gader, head of the research center, stated that the study educated approximately 95 percent of religious men and a sampling of parents promoting early marriage, especially in conservative areas, about the importance of delaying marriage, as this is in the best interest of youth and society at large and not against Islamic principles.
By Hamed Thabet from the Yemen Times
Friday, February 1, 2008
Saudi Arabia: UN calls for Saudis to end male guardianship
GENEVA - (AP) A United Nations human rights body called on Saudi Arabia on Friday to immediately end its system of male guardianship which it said severely limits the basic freedoms of women in the kingdom.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, in its first scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s gender equality record, said Islamic Sharia law should not trump an international women’s rights treaty that Riyadh signed in 2000.
The committee’s 23 independent experts urged Saudi Arabia to ‘amend its legislation to confirm that international treaties have precedence over domestic laws,’ and ‘enact a comprehensive gender equality law’.
They also said that Riyadh should ‘take immediate steps to end the practice of male guardianship over women’ and work to eliminate ‘negative cultural practices and stereotypes’ which discriminate against women.
Saudi Arabia’s system of male guardianship severely curtails the rights afforded in the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the committee said.
The rules restrict women’s legal rights in marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance, property ownership and decision-making in the family, as well as choice of residency, education and jobs, the committee said.
It ‘contributes to the prevalence of a patriarchal ideology with stereotypes and the persistence of deep-rooted cultural norms, customs and traditions that discriminate against women,’ the committee said. A de facto ban on Saudi women driving further reinforces such stereotypes, the UN body concluded.
Although the body has no legal power to enforce its recommendations, it is regarded as a moral authority on women’s rights.
Saudis say no discrimination
A report submitted by Riyadh on its compliance with the treaty said that generally there was ‘no discrimination against women in the laws of the kingdom’.
A Saudi delegation led by Zeid Bin Abdul Mushin Al Hussein, vice president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, told the committee during a recent debate: ‘Human rights in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia are based on Sharia law.’
Saudi clerics, who rule according to the strict religious tenets, have wide powers in Saudi Arabia under a traditional pact with the royal family.
The country drew international criticism after its Supreme Judicial Council ordered a 19-year-old to 200 lashes and six months in jail for having been with a man she was not related to when she was attacked and raped by seven other men in 2006.
King Abdullah pardoned the gang-rape victim in December.
The UN committee urged Riyadh to withdraw its proviso that Islamic law take precedence over the women’s rights treaty, particularly as Saudi authorities have given assurances that there is ‘no contradiction in substance’ between the two.
The committee’s conclusions were issued at the end of a three-week meeting during which it also reviewed other states.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, in its first scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s gender equality record, said Islamic Sharia law should not trump an international women’s rights treaty that Riyadh signed in 2000.
The committee’s 23 independent experts urged Saudi Arabia to ‘amend its legislation to confirm that international treaties have precedence over domestic laws,’ and ‘enact a comprehensive gender equality law’.
They also said that Riyadh should ‘take immediate steps to end the practice of male guardianship over women’ and work to eliminate ‘negative cultural practices and stereotypes’ which discriminate against women.
Saudi Arabia’s system of male guardianship severely curtails the rights afforded in the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the committee said.
The rules restrict women’s legal rights in marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance, property ownership and decision-making in the family, as well as choice of residency, education and jobs, the committee said.
It ‘contributes to the prevalence of a patriarchal ideology with stereotypes and the persistence of deep-rooted cultural norms, customs and traditions that discriminate against women,’ the committee said. A de facto ban on Saudi women driving further reinforces such stereotypes, the UN body concluded.
Although the body has no legal power to enforce its recommendations, it is regarded as a moral authority on women’s rights.
Saudis say no discrimination
A report submitted by Riyadh on its compliance with the treaty said that generally there was ‘no discrimination against women in the laws of the kingdom’.
A Saudi delegation led by Zeid Bin Abdul Mushin Al Hussein, vice president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, told the committee during a recent debate: ‘Human rights in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia are based on Sharia law.’
Saudi clerics, who rule according to the strict religious tenets, have wide powers in Saudi Arabia under a traditional pact with the royal family.
The country drew international criticism after its Supreme Judicial Council ordered a 19-year-old to 200 lashes and six months in jail for having been with a man she was not related to when she was attacked and raped by seven other men in 2006.
King Abdullah pardoned the gang-rape victim in December.
The UN committee urged Riyadh to withdraw its proviso that Islamic law take precedence over the women’s rights treaty, particularly as Saudi authorities have given assurances that there is ‘no contradiction in substance’ between the two.
The committee’s conclusions were issued at the end of a three-week meeting during which it also reviewed other states.
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