Saudis file first-ever petition to end male guardianship

Women in Saudi Arabia
Women in Saudi Arabia Credit: AP

An unprecedented petition calling for an end to the male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia has been put before the kingdom’s government after gaining thousands of signatures. 

Under Saudi law, all women must have a male guardian, usually their father, husband or brother, whose permission must be granted for anything from marriage to travel, renting a flat, and medical procedures.

More than 14,500 people signed the petition - the first of its kind in the ultra-conservative Islamic country.

Activist Aziza Al-Yousef, a leading women’s rights advocate, delivered the petition in person to the royal court on Monday. 

Activist Aziza al-Yousef delivered the petition to the Royal Court 
Activist Aziza al-Yousef delivered the petition to the Royal Court  Credit: Aziza al-Yousef 

"In every aspect, the important issue is to treat a woman as a full citizen," she told the BBC. She and other activists first raised the issue five years ago. "We never had a problem with campaigning, but the problem is there is no answer. But we always hope - without hope, you cannot work," she said.

In July, Human Rights Watch published a report on the issue of women’s rights. It found that women were treated as inferior to men, refused permission to drive, and often denied access to their passports. 

In response to the report, women in the kingdom began tweeting using the hashtag #StopEnslavingSaudiWomen. 

Aziza al-Yousef driving, which women are not allowed to do in Saudi Arabic
Aziza al-Yousef driving, which women are not allowed to do in Saudi Arabic Credit: Aziza al-Yousef 

Some, dressed in abayas, post selfies holding signs with short messages like, "Slavery comes in many shapes and forms: Male guardianship is one." 

Kristine Beckerle, a Human Rights Watch researcher who worked on the report, described the response as "incredible and unprecedented".

"I was flabbergasted - not only by the scale, but the creativity with which they've been doing it," she said. "They've made undeniably clear they won't stand to be treated as second-class citizens any longer, and it's high time their government listened."

Saudi Arabia’s most senior cleric, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, recently said calls to repeal the guardianship system are “a crime against the religion of Islam” and posed “an existential threat to Saudi society.”

However, there is growing support to abolish the system among the public. 

Abdullah Al-Alweet, a columnist for al-Watan, said it was “high time” that ‘we express our full faith and confidence in women and their capabilities.”

He continued: “The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has stated that ‘Women are more qualified than their guardians to take a decision on matters concerning them.’

“ It is surprising that even after this clear statement by the Prophet, people still insist on guardianship mainly by misinterpreting the Qur’anic verse: ‘Men are protectors of women’.”

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