Saudi women from the reality of intensifying repression to the mirage of social reforms
The activities of the recent ruling period in Saudi Arabia in removing the restrictions on Saudi women did not go beyond a propaganda show and could not solve the root problems of women in this country.
Despite the measures taken by Mohammed bin Salman to improve the image of the country’s government in the field of women’s freedoms, Saudi Arabia continues to suffer from widespread violations of women’s rights to take and include the basic needs of women, is limited to promotional activities. Among the countries of the world, Saudi Arabia has the highest level in terms of creating restrictions for women, such that according to the report of the World Economic Forum, based on the four indicators of participation and economic opportunities; Obtaining education, health, and survival and political empowerment, the overall ranking of this country in the relationship with the mentioned dimensions in 2021 compared to 2006 has found a sharp drop, which indicates the regression of this country in the field of educational, economic, health and political rights of women during the reign of King Salman.
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In this regard, the concerns of human rights communities about women’s rights, especially in the field of obtaining education and training, studying in universities, receiving minimum salaries such as driving and tenure in some jobs, severe gender segregation, etc., are to be continued…… The legal guardianship of women by men to varying degrees is still practiced in Saudi Arabia and includes important aspects of women’s lives. The guardianship of men over women severely limits the freedom and independence of women to carry out their activities and legal actions, and in many cases such as marriage, divorce, custody of children, ownership, and control of property, decision-making about family issues, education and employment, and even freedom from the prison is in progress.
Violence against women is seen in different forms in Saudi Arabia, violence in the family, violence in public areas, violence against female migrant workers, etc. Estimating the amount of domestic violence in Saudi Arabia is difficult due to the limitation in reporting these cases and the lack of data, and it only includes cases where complaints have been received by human rights institutions. Physical violence, acts of violence, sexual harassment, and insults and slander are only some of the dimensions of this violence. 60% of this violence is done by the husband and then relatives. According to the complaints received by the Human Rights Commission and the National Association for Human Rights, the abuse of power by men is done in various fields, including not allowing them to study, not giving the rights of women and children, leaving the wife and children on the part of the man, confiscating documents, etc.
Official documents such as ID cards prevent travel and prevent women from visiting their children. Marrying young girls based on monetary and financial or tribal considerations by forcing them to accept this type of marriage is one of the other acts of violence against women in Saudi Arabia. In the public sphere of Saudi Arabia, cases related to rape are less discussed, because the victims are afraid, if they disclose the rape against them, they will be exposed to the negative judgment of the members of the society and violence from their relatives, for this reason, comprehensive information about the rape in Saudi Arabia does not exist. Most foreign female workers in Saudi Arabia work as maids and some as nurses.
Some of these people are smuggled to Saudi Arabia with the aim of forced labor and sexual exploitation, for this reason, as soon as they enter Saudi Arabia, the immigrants’ passports and residence permits are taken and they find conditions like slavery.
In general, discrimination against Saudi women during King Salman’s reign can be summarized in three levels, including lack of equal
