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Saudi Arabia Research Paper

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Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia There is an extreme male dominance over the women of Saudi Arabia. The men control the women in government, in education, in society, and even in their own homes. A vast majority of women fight for their rights to break free. The Saudi Arabian women’s restrictions need to be changed before the men overpower the women, which can wistfully turn to domestic abuse or even the women become rebellious and break traditions set out for them. Saudi Arabian women face countless restrictions against them. Some of the restrictions against the Saudi Arabia women are they are not allowed to drive and have their male guardian drive them, the women cannot be in public without wearing an abaya (cloak) or head covering. …show more content…

Men are allowed to have four wives at a time as long as they can treat them equally, but polygamy is uncommon in most of the population. Marriage is considered a necessary part of life, and almost all adults marry. Marriage is usually a costly affair. Divorce is relatively easy for men and difficult for women. Divorce rates are high, and remarriage is common, especially for men. Domestic abuse is another big deal for Saudi Arabia women. Not saying all Saudi Arabian women are abused but according to the Riyadh-based National Family Safety Program it was reported: “One in every six women is abused verbally, physically, or emotionally every day in Saudi Arabia and 90 percent of the abusers are usually husbands or fathers” (Salama 3). Until last year there was no legislation to legally help female victims of domestic violence. Then the kingdom passed a law which states that physical or sexual violence is punishable with a minimum jail sentence of one month and a maximum of one year, and fines of up to $13,300. Yet there is another obstacle in the way, the guardianship law. The abused women can not run away from the abusers, most likely their guardian. “Until [the guardianship rule] goes, all the changes are just a show for outside,” says Aziza Yousef, a professor at Riyadh’s King Saud University. (Yousef qtd. in The Economist). With the guardianship rule still present, it causes most of the problems that women and men together in Saudi Arabia have to

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