Good Research Paper About Saudi Arabian Women

Women's rights in Saudi Arabia - a set of rules and restrictions imposed on women in Saudi Arabia, based on patriarchal Sharia law. Women's rights in Saudi society are based on Sharia (Islamic law), the Koran, the Hadith (teachings of the Prophet Muhammad) and tribal laws. Sharia law is interpreted in a strict form of Sunni Islam as "righteous" way of the Salaf. Since the country has no clear laws, the judges have considerable discretionary powers allowing them to solve problems, as a rule, in favor of tribal customs. Changing interpretations of Islamic law often leads to disagreements.
Women in Saudi Arabia banned from taking part in elections, to engage in politics, although King Abdullah promised that he would provide women the opportunity to vote in 2015. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are forbidden to drive a car. Also, according to the data of year 2009, the country occupies 130th place out of 134 countries on the infringement of women's rights. It is also the only country that received a score of zero for political and social rights granted to women. However, since 2008, against the backdrop of an improving economy, the gradual tendencies towards mitigation of gender discrimination have been seen. (Ricardo et al. 9-22)
Economic rights of women. From early childhood, girls are taught that their main role is to support the family hearth, to bear and raise children. Simply put, the man has to work, and a woman - to take care of the family. Sharia allows a woman to work on the condition that she will not neglect her family responsibilities, and if no one is able to subsist a woman (widow with children). According to Saudi law, a woman can work only in the designated areas for women; she can work as a doctor, a nurse, a teacher and another a few areas where female clients can avoid unwanted contact with a man. Theoretically, a woman can engage in any government work, during which she can come into contact with men. In practice, this is done in the private sector, where men and women work under one roof, while private business should follow the example of government agencies. Officially, women's trip can not be carried out without a male mahram (husband / relative), but in reality many women are traveling without a guardian, hiring a driver-maintainer. (Hana 2-10)
A woman can work only when her husband/relative allows her work. Women's work should also be suitable for female physique and mentality. For example, women can not work in the judicial field, as well as hold important government positions. Although the main area of work for women are educational institutions and medicine, the number of women working in the fields of finance, increased by 28% between 2000 and 2008, which means that the female part of society is gradually increasing its economic role in the country.
Implementation of the resolution in support of the empowerment of employment for women has met resistance from the Ministry of Labor, conservative Saudi citizens and religious leaders. They adhere to strict Islamic principles that the opportunity to work for a woman is contrary to its nature. The Saudi Ministry of Labour is skeptical about the possibility of expanding labor powers for women, citing the fact that the best place for a woman - her house, so no woman will work without the consent of the guardian, that she could not replace the work by her family responsibilities to care for family, to bear and raise children. However, in recent years in sectors such as healthcare and banking, women are beginning to play an increasingly important role. When men and women are working in the same industry, men receive a larger salary and other benefits. (Suzan 1, 2)
Women in Saudi Arabia make up 17% of the workforce; for comparison: in other Muslim countries, such as the UAE, Kuwait and Malaysia, their share is over 40%. I think that development of women's careers in the country remains extremely slow due to the active constraints of men and the state itself.
Education. The level of female literacy is 81%, and slightly lags behind men. However, the proportion of girls receiving secondary and higher education is significantly higher than among young men. In particular, every second working woman has a higher education, and among men the same figure is only 16%. The share of Saudi women graduating from universities is even higher than in the West. The quality of education for women is significantly lower than for men. Curriculum and textbooks are updated much less frequently, and teachers have lower qualifications. One of the Saudi educational policies notes that the main goal in girls' education is to nurture of them real Muslim girls, to teach them to be perfect housewives and loving mothers, as well as the ability to be good doctors, nurses or teachers. (Bridget 1-4)
Traditionally, women can not work in the field of technology, health, architecture and law. However, nowadays almost 60% of all Saudi students are women. Due to lack of educational opportunities at home most of the girls are studying abroad, however, the duty of male guardianship and wearing of hijab makes it difficult for women to study abroad. Women are primarily offered to study the sphere of services and the social sciences. Education in the field of medicine, public administration, natural and social sciences and Islamic theology have been officially recognized as possible for women. (Valentine 1-6)
One of the main obstacles to education is child marriage, as the young wife has heavy burden of responsibility for the family, birth and childcare. This occurs most often during the beginning of pubescence (11-14 years), and then the girl can refuse training. Approximately 25% of girls can not go to college because of early marriage.
Mobility of Saudi Arabian women. The movement of women across the country is very limited. They are not allowed to go beyond the territory of the home without a husband / relative. However, women often need to come into contact with other men while working and buying. Women can not drive a car, although this prohibition is violated in rural areas. It is noteworthy that there is no specific law forbidding women to drive a car, but women are not issued the state licenses to drive a car, even if they have a foreign license, it makes their trip illegal. In addition, most of the Saudi scholars and religious leaders refer driving a car by woman to sin. There are some conservative arguments advocating for a ban of driving: driving a car means uncovered face; women will often leave home and forget about family responsibilities; they will often communicate with other men, for example during traffic accidents; many young men will lose the opportunity to drive cars; woman driving a car is the first step to the fall of traditional values, which is an important aspect of gender segregation.
Women usually can not use public transport, although in practice commonly used service of taxi driver or a private driver, which, however, is considered undesirable. Women have limited access to buses and trains. For women, there are special sections with separate entrances, which are located at the end. Bus companies serving the largest part of Riyadh and Jeddah, do not carry women. (Sameena 260-264)
In November 6, 1990 twenty Saudi women have arranged an illegal trip by car through the streets of Riyadh in protest against the ban on driving. They were detained by inspectors of road service, women were taken into custody. They were released after the guardians signed the papers, in which they promised that these women will no longer be driving. Soon around the city were distributed thousands of leaflets with the names of women and their husbands, in which the first called prostitutes and second – their pimps. Women were discharged of work, their passports were confiscated, and they were forbidden to talk to the press. About a year after the protest, they went back to work and get back their passports, but behind them continued surveillance, they also were denied in promotion at work.
In 2008, lawyers acting for the rights of women to drive, collected about 1,000 signatures in hopes of persuading King Abdullah to lift the ban, but the attempt failed. On International Women's Day in 2008 Saudi activist, known for her feminist sentiments Vadzheha al-Huwaider, posted a video on YouTube, where she is located behind the wheel of a car in a rural location and commented:
“I would like to congratulate all women who have received through the struggle their rights, and I hope that every woman who continues to fight for her rights, one day will receive them.”
During the protests in 2011 other actions with the participation of women at the wheel were carried out, which were spread on YouTube and Facebook. One of them was organized by activist Manal al-Sharif under the slogan "Teach me how to drive so that I could protect myself," many women at that time were inspired by the events of the Arab Spring. (Abdullah 1-2). However, many people still are skeptical about the possibility in the near future to lift the ban on driving, as most conservatives, whose influence in the country is large, firmly convinced that permission for driving a car can become the lever to move to the Western way of life and the destruction of traditional values.
In early 2012, the government began to consider a proposal to establish a nationwide bus system only for women. Activists divided in opinion, some supported the idea, arguing that it will reduce the incidence of sexual harassment of taxi drivers and transportation costs. Others have criticized, arguing that it is an escape from the real issue of the recognition of women's right to drive. In July 2011, a woman from Jeddah was sentenced to ten lashes for driving a car. This caused a public outcry, because before that she was required to sign an undertaking that she would never sit behind the wheel. Punishment by flogging began to apply after the actions in support of women's rights in June. King Abdullah has promised to protect the rights of women and overturned the verdict. In September 2013 a group of 16 women activists have arranged automobile race, for which they had to pay a fine of $ 80, and their caregivers were obliged to hide the keys. (Faiza Saleh 1-8)
Conclusion. The events of September 11 attacks forced the Saudi authorities to reconsider their principles of fundamentalism, as it was known that 9 of the 11 terrorists were Saudis. From that moment conservative religious leaders have reduced their role in society and politics, and at government positions were appointed reformers. The government headed by King Abdullah is considered a moderately progressive. He opened the country's first coeducational university, appointed a cabinet member the first woman and banned domestic violence. Although gender segregation weakened, it continues to be practiced everywhere. Critics argue that the reforms of King are insignificant and have a symbolic character. Conservative Islamic clergy, which has a lot of power in the country, makes constant attempts to discourage the provision of new rights to women, and even defended a ban on the law banning child marriages. Women were not allowed to vote in the first municipal elections in the country, though the king supports a woman's right to drive and vote. In the past few years, several women have occupied the lower bureaucratic positions.
The Saudi government has taken international commitments to women's rights. It has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, provided, however, that the Convention will not be able to override the Islamic law. However, government officials have announced that the current rights of women do not contradict the norms of Islam. Degree of consistency between government commitments and practice remains very controversial. In 2009, a UN report said that international law ratified by the government is not observed in Saudi Arabia.
Local and international group of female activists are pushing the government to reform, using the fact that some rulers aim at the creation of a progressive society, closer to the West. The Saudi population is divergent for reforms on women's rights. Opponents of such activists argue that the approach they use, can stimulate even more negative reaction of any changes among conservatives. To this day, the majority of Saudis oppose mixed jobs and the right of women to drive cars. Most women are voluntarily willing to wear the veil and are not interested to occupy high positions for the reason that Saudi citizens view their country as "the embodiment of the ideal of pure Islamic nation" and believe that the provision of new rights to women, is an additional step towards Westernization of the country from which the Saudi society seeks to protect.

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