The advances in gender equality that have taken place in the recent past, unfortunately, have not received worldwide recognition. There are still countries where patriarchal foundations and centuries-old traditions restrict women in literally all spheres of life. One of these radical states is Saudi Arabia.
Make decisions on your own
In Saudi Arabia, a woman cannot control her life or make decisions on her own. For her, it is done by a male guardian from among close relatives - a father, brother or husband. For example, the practice of forced marriage is widely known, but limitation of rights applies to even the most harmless things - education, treatment, work, movement within the country or abroad. The Guardian is the center of the universe for a woman from Saudi Arabia, her sovereign and sovereign. Through him, interaction with the outside world takes place, and communication with other men, even casual, is under the strictest prohibition.
Contact with men
The entire daily life and infrastructure of Saudi Arabia is organized in such a way as to completely isolate a woman from interacting with other men, except for the guardian or close relatives. In schools, boys and girls are taught separately, and children of different genders are not only placed in different buildings, but also clearly delineated by the time of the lessons. Therefore, they cannot study at the same time: each sex has its own hours.
From TV series and films, many know that in houses there is a separation of the female and male half of the living space. The Saudi Arabian authorities are trying to transfer this principle to the main public places: transport, shopping centers, beaches, restaurants. Even solemn events are divided according to gender, so men and women always celebrate separately. Violation of these norms is strictly prohibited. If a woman is caught in an attempt to contact a stranger, her act will be regarded as a crime for which the most severe punishment threatens.
Demonstrate exposed body parts
A woman's visit to public places is possible only in a strictly defined form, when everything is hidden under the clothes, except for the hands, feet and part of the face. Restrictions vary with regard to the degree of openness of individuals. In more secular parts of the country, it is permissible to show the oval of the face, while in the provinces, only slits for the eyes are left. And some representatives of radical Muslims insist that women additionally hide even their gaze, since it is also capable of stirring up the male imagination.
Shame on the behavior of your guardian
Perhaps there is no worse offense for a Saudi Arabian than to cast a shadow on the reputation of her guardian. If a woman violates accepted norms of behavior, then the man who controls her life will inevitably be disgraced. Indeed, in this case, he poorly controlled his ward, which contributed to the "cheeky" behavior.
For such actions, women face severe punishment, and sometimes even death. Most often, misconduct is associated with communication with other men: correspondence on a social network, casual conversation on the street and other similar things. It is in the nature of things when relatives themselves arrange reprisals against a woman convicted of inappropriate behavior.
Get married of your choice
The most famous prohibition, which is still strong even in progressive Muslim countries, is to independently decide on marriage. The marriage contract is conducted without the participation of the bride. The father or a close relative himself determines at what age she should be married. Sometimes, these numbers are alarmingly small - from 9 to 16 years old. The practice of marriage before puberty is also flourishing.
Early marriage affects women in the most negative way. They lose the opportunity to study or work. Residents of Saudi Arabia are also deprived of rights in terms of their husbands' polygamy. They can only accept it if the spouse wants to have four wives, as officially permitted by law.
Apply for mitigation of punishment
Religious police closely monitor the norms of behavior for women in Saudi Arabia. Even the victim can be accused of rape, suspecting her of some form of provocation of the rapist. Arrest and imprisonment may result from contact with a man or inappropriate clothing. But a woman does not have to wait for a mitigation of punishment, although various instruments of amnesty are provided for male prisoners - pardon for the holidays or memorizing the Koran.
Even when the sentence has expired, a prisoner can leave the prison only with the permission of her guardian. In turn, he has the right to insist on an extension of the term or to renounce his rights to a woman. In this case, the convicts are forced to remain in prison.
To drive a car
Muslim women do not have the right to drive, in Saudi Arabia they simply will not be given a license. Women are not allowed to leave the house without a guardian, and independent travel by car is all the more unacceptable. The Islamic religion ranks this behavior as a sin.
True, this ban, which has been fiercely contested in recent years, was canceled in September 2017 by a decree of the King of Saudi Arabia, and in June 2018 it entered into force.
Work as you wish
All Saudi Arabians are taught from early childhood that their main purpose is the role of wife and mother. Therefore, there are few women in the country who have received a full education and are able to work for the good of society. And the list of permitted professions is extremely limited: teacher, nurse, finance specialist. Work is permissible in areas where it is possible to avoid contact with men. Consent to the woman's employment is given by the guardian.
Come to sporting events
The involvement of women in sports life remained extremely low for many years. For example, in the Olympic Games from Saudi Arabia until 2008, only men's teams took part. In 2012, female athletes attended the London Games for the first time.
In recent years, the situation is slowly changing: physical education lessons for girls, women's fitness rooms have appeared. Saudi Arabians were even allowed to ride bicycles in designated areas. Of course, provided that their whole body is covered and there is a male escort. However, attending sporting events is still unacceptable.
Ride public transport
Access to public transport for women is limited by special carriages on trains and a project to create special women buses. To move, Saudi Arabians are forced to use the services of frequent carriers, which creates a threat of unwanted contact with men. The organization of women's carriages in the metro and permission to drive a car helped to relieve tension in this matter.
