Michael Easter, Edward Ho, Derrick Lam, Tharun Saravanakumar, Casey Spencer

Charmaine Cordero

Women’s Literature

3 December 2020

Saudi Arabia Wicked Problem

Saudi Arabia is a developing country where women have to deal with an abundance of

wicked problems. Their Constitution, or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has many contradictions

regarding women's equality. Specific problem women have to deal with primarily is the male

guardianship system. Women in Saudi Arabia face systematic discrimination and are often left

exposed to domestic violence or abuse under this guardianship. "Initially, a woman is under the

legal guardianship of her father. When she marries, her husband becomes her new guardian."

(Boxed). This is degrading to women and might cause them to feel neglected or depressed. It

also makes women feel as if they're treated as a piece of property owned by men. As a result,

some women often have to take risks in attempts to escape the country. At birth, a woman's legal

guardian is their father, and later their husband is chosen by the father to be the woman's next

guardian. In 2020, women only accounted for 15.9% of the labor workforce, representing a large

source of untapped potential in Saudi Arabia. (Labor Force). According to the economic

principles in the Kingdom, Article 22 states that "Economic and social development shall be

achieved by a systematic and fair plan." Saudi Arabia has one of the lowest female employment

rates in the entirety of the Middle East.

Saudi Arabian women also face restrictions on how freely they can travel. After decades

Saudi Arabia finally ended its ban on female drivers in 2018. Before then the country’s women
fought for the right to drive cars. That’s not all. Recently, in mid-August of 2020, Saudi

authorities announced that they had allowed women over the age of 21 to travel freely without

permission from their male guardian. This is a small step for independence for women in Saudi

Arabia, but many more are needed. Before this, it was reported that "...a thousand women

traveled abroad without permission…" (Travel Restrictions). Saudi authorities arrested women's

rights activists who had a "...petition for Saudi authorities to allow women the right to drive as

well as the right to vote and run in municipal elections." (Human Rights).

The male guardianship system also trickles down to other implications such as women's

education. Unlike Saudi Arabia men, women can't study abroad on a government scholarship

without guardian approval and must have a male relative accompanying them. Saudi Arabia's

gender-segregated education separates men and women in different curriculums at various

educational levels. They have a gender-specific educational policy that emphasizes the

importance of women's domestic function. Women often have fewer resources and have limited

time in places of studies such as libraries. The social normality of male guardianship eliminates

the many resources and materials that would generally be available to men. As a larger society,

Saudi Arabia institutes these educational structures as a means to control women and cultural

conservation socially. For nearly two decades, women's education was solely a nurturing mother

and housewife, self-degrading, and limiting. To establish more control over women, they are

restricted from wearing clothes or make-up that show off their beauty or socially interact with

men. The majority of buildings, schools, and banks have separate entrances for men and women.

Sharia law also affects women's everyday lives. Saudi Arabia's government is based on

this law and is a religious system based on the prophet Mohammad's teachings. There are harsh

punishments for adultery, blasphemy, and theft. Women have no religious freedom and are
treated as second class citizens. Under Sharia Law, there is sex segregation, which is justified by

"shielding from corruption" or dar al-fasaad. Male guardianship is a crucial wicked problem that

should be addressed because women in Saudi Arabia are much discriminated against. For years,

women in Saudi Arabia have faced so much oppression, and it was recently that some

restrictions on women had been uplifted.

 Works Cited

“Boxed In.” ​Human Rights Watch​, 6 June 2017,

www.hrw.org/report/2016/07/16/boxed/women-and-saudi-arabias-male-guardianship-system

“The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia.” ​Islam | The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,​

www.saudiembassy.net/islam

“Saudi Arabia: Travel Restrictions on Saudi Women Lifted.” ​Human Rights Watch​, 28 Oct.

2020, www.hrw.org/news/2019/08/22/saudi-arabia-travel-restrictions-saudi-women-lifted.

“Prominent Saudi Women Activists Arrested.” ​Human Rights Watch,​ 28 Oct. 2020,

www.hrw.org/news/2018/08/01/prominent-saudi-women-activists-arrested.

“Labor Force, Female (% of Total Labor Force) - Saudi Arabia.” ​Data,​ 21 June 2020,

data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.TOTL.FE.ZS?locations=SA.