Saudis urge government to treat women as full citizens
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Saudi women use their mobile phones during the Janadriyah festival of heritage and culture held in the village of al-Thumama, near the capital city of Riyadh, on February 8, 2016. (Photo by AFP)
Thousands of Saudis have signed a petition calling on the Riyadh regime to treat women as full citizens by recognizing their complete rights and ending the controversial male guardianship system.
Under Saudi law, a woman must have permission from a male family member, normally the father, husband or brother - in the case of a widow, sometimes her son - to obtain a passport, marry, travel, exit prison and sometimes work or access health care.
In recent years, the Ale Saud regime has come under intense pressure by rights groups for mistreating women.
Reports said on Tuesday that some 14,700 people have signed the petition - the first of its kind in the kingdom.
Campaigner Aziza al-Yousef of Riyadh told AFP that the online petition calls for Saudi women to be treated "as a full citizen, and decide an age where she will be an adult and will be responsible for her own acts.”
Yousef further noted that she took the petition to the Royal Court in person on Monday, but was advised to send it by mail.
Nassima al-Sadah, an activist in Eastern Province, also expressed her dissatisfaction with the contentious system, saying, “We are suffering from this guardianship system.”
Back in July, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a blistering report on the issue of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, which found that female citizens were treated as inferior to men.
"Saudi Arabia's male guardianship system remains the most significant impediment to women's rights in the country despite limited reforms over the last decade," the rights organization said.
ME
