We live at a time when Arab women are breaking barriers, becoming pioneers in the fields of business, arts, politics and even sport – with the recent appointment of the first Saudi woman, Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud as president’s undersecretary for the female section at the General Authority for Sports.
Yet, it is also true that some women still need permission from their male guardians to do the simplest of things, such as travel. So what may appear as a minor story from Saudi Arabia this week – how at least 200 Saudi women were given permission by the courts to travel without guardians once or several times for the purpose of study, medical treatment or tourism – is actually big news.
There are variations on the type of guardianship – in general it must be a male relative, be it a husband, father, brother or son. In Saudi Arabia, women must obtain permission from a male guardian to travel abroad, marry, work, get health care or even be released from prison.
This latest news is signalling a possible gradual change to a system that was set up using Islamic law for the protection of women, but has been abused by some guardians who thrive on control.
The issue has been discussed extensively on social media, through an Arabic hashtag translating to “Saudi women call for the abolishment of ‘Welaya’ guardianship”, and some male Twitter users have been extremely rude to the point of vulgarity in their reactions to this call.
The words “honour” and “dishonour” were mentioned by several users. These are terms often used to excuse the greatest atrocities, such as “honour killings” of women.
Other social media users took the chance to post photos of handwritten documents where a male guardian – a father or a husband – had denied them permission to go abroad to study or to get treatment. Others complained that men had extorted money from their female dependents and kept them locked up at home. One user, who is divorced, said she had to ask her teenage son for permission, adding: “How shameful is that?”
What needs to be stressed here is that it is a case-by-case matter, and family dynamics and background play a big role.
If a Saudi woman wants to travel, it is quite easily arranged via Absher, an e-service from the interior ministry listed under “travel permits for dependents”.
A few of my Saudi relatives and friends said that their male guardians even gave them the login and password so they could set it up themselves. One permit can last for more than 10 years.
Most of us take it for granted that we can decide our own destiny and pursue higher education or any other dream. But, except in certain circumstances, like marriage, it is within Islamic jurisdiction to involve the male guardians.
Mutual respect and not treating any gender as weak or emotionally unable to make the right decisions is at the core of any relationship regardless of nationality and religion.
Arab women have been climbing the world’s tallest mountains, and for sure they will eventually conquer societal mountains too. Step by step, change for the better is inevitable as more women, regardless of where they are, stand up and ask for their voices to be respected.
rghazal@thenational.ae
On Twitter: @Arabianmau