Saudi women join drive against guardianship law

Thousands of Saudi women have signed an online petition that seeks to end the male guardianship system in the deeply conservative Islamic kingdom. Under the existing laws, Saudi women must have the consent of a male relative to travel abroad, marry, and may also need permission to work or study. A Human Rights Watch report on the subject gave rise to an Arabic Twitter hashtag, which translates as “Saudi women want to abolish the guardianship system” in July.

Activist Aziza Al-Yousef, who took the petition to the Royal Court in person on Monday, said, “Women should be treated as a full citizen,” writes the BBC. The hashtag calling for a change has gone viral with hundreds of Saudi women of all age groups and backgrounds posting comments and sharing videos and artwork, demanding abolition of the guardianship system.

Human Rights Watch researcher Kristine Beckerle, who was part of the team that prepared the blistering report on the guardianship system, said she was “flabbergasted” by the “incredible and unprecedented” response.

Those averse to the change, including senior clerics in the country, claim that the law is derived from an understanding of the Qu’ran, reports The Guardian. The Saudi government introduced reforms in the system twice in 2009 and 2013, but the changes fell short of providing women their basic rights.