Saudi Arabia allows women to travel without male guardian's approval

[brooklynite]

Source: The Guardian

Women in Saudi Arabia will no longer need the permission of a male guardian to travel, according to laws published on Friday, in a key step towards dismantling controls that have made women second-class citizens in their own country.

Other changes issued in the decrees allow women to apply for passports, register a marriage, divorce or child’s birth and be issued official family documents. It also stipulates that a father or mother can be legal guardians of children.

Being able to obtain family documents could ease hurdles women faced in obtaining a national identity card and enrolling their children in school.

Still in place, however, are rules that require male consent for a woman to leave prison, exit a domestic abuse shelter or marry. Women, unlike men, still cannot pass on citizenship to their children and cannot provide consent for their children to marry.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/01/saudi-women-can-now-travel-without-a-male-guardian-reports-say

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Unless the Saudi women are brainwashed as to their subservient role in their society,

would the loosening of travel restrictions invoke an exodus to escape?

[Dan]

2. Changing the laws does not change the heart of men...

[watoos]

3. Exactly,

MBS needs a new image. It would be like Charles Manson pushing for women's rights. MBS is a murderous dictator who is looking to shine up his image. Maybe Trump should make another trip to rub his glowing orb?

[padah513]

4. Excellent analogy

[nycbos]

5. Congratulations Saudi Arabia.

You have made it to the 1900s.

[watoos]

7. Well said.

[Farmer-Rick]

6. Well, aren't they merciful?

A murderous king of a country in the throes of a religious mania decides not to abuse women so much. How special.

I guess if you think a 6th century desert goat herder's attitude towards girls and women should be the bases for laws then you are beyond reason.

[Aristus]

9. Actually, Mohammed's vision of devotion to God included progressive reforms in favor of women.

Under Islam, women were allowed to divorce, own property and businesses, and parent their children if they were widowed or divorced.

Saudi Arabia's interpretation of Islam dates only from the 18th Centuryand the advent of Wahabbism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahhabism

[Farmer-Rick]

11. Well someone should tell their God

How far Islam has fallen behind normal equality standards. Maybe their all powerful God will do something?

And Mohammed did like collecting wives...really 13? How does that show any sense of respect and progressive reform? And cunsumating a marriage with a 9 year old girl does not denote any understanding of female empowerment.

But Islam is just as bad as Christianity and Judaism. They all denigrate women, give them the 2nd place in society and limit women's actions especially over their own bodies.

Add in a feudal system of government and life for women there becomes miserable.

[Submariner]

8. Some Saudi's will still kill their women

their wives, their daughters, nieces, and female neighbors. These barbarian men will find it real difficult to part with their old ways, and will still kill. Islam is the fabric of what they are as men in SA. We will not hear about it much, if it all, but it will still happen. It is a spirit crushing civilization.

Until the people turn on their government and over run the House of Saud, and kill the likes of MBH and his entourage, the Saudi women will still be in treated like dog shit.

[efhmc]

10. Not second class citizens. Women in SA are nonpersons.

What a horrible country. No wonder DJT loves it so much.

[lindysalsagal]

12. Saudi Arabia Joins The 11th Century

Party like it's 1199!!!