In September 2011, a woman in Jeddah was sentenced to ten lashes for driving. [217] In contrast to this punishment, Maha al-Qahtani, the first woman in Saudi Arabia to receive a ticket, was punished only for a traffic violation. [218] This was the first time a woman had been punished under the law for driving. In the past, when women were caught driving, they were usually questioned and released after signing a promise to stop driving. [219] The beating followed months of protests by activists,[218] and two days later, King Abdullah announced greater women`s political participation in the future. [217] [220] King Abdullah quashed the woman`s conviction. [221] In 2014, a female presenter was the first to appear on Saudi state television without a headscarf. [136] She reported as a London news anchor for Al Ekhbariya. [136] In January 2019, British MPs requested access to eight activists detained in Saudi Arabia. The request followed a Human Rights Watch report alleging that the women had been subjected to abuse, electric shocks, beatings, flogging, and threats of rape. [322] Crispin Blunt, a British Conservative MP, said: In some cases, victims of sexual assault are punished for being alone with an unrelated man before the attack. In the Qatif rape case in 2006, an 18-year victim of kidnapping and gang rape was sentenced by a Saudi court to six months in prison and 90 lashes. The judge ruled that she violated gender segregation laws because she was in the car of an unrelated man at the time of the attack.
She was also punished for trying to influence the court through the media. [278] The Justice Department defended the verdict, saying she committed adultery and “provoked the attack” because she was “dressed indecently.” [279] Their attackers were convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to ten years and up to a thousand lashes. [280] When women find employment that is also held by men, they often find it difficult to accept full-time employment with benefits such as benefits, health insurance, and social security. According to a report in the Saudi Gazette, an employer told a journalist that his health insurance coverage did not include obstetrics, but that a male employee had received such coverage for his wife. [155] “Among the issues that have been raised and are of paramount importance are: the representation of women in Sharia courts; set a [minimum] age for marriage for girls; Enable women to take care of their own affairs in government agencies and allow them access to government buildings; Protect women from domestic violence such as physical or verbal violence, or prevent them from studying, working or marrying, or force them to divorce. We need laws to protect women from these assaults and violations of their rights as human beings. And there is also [the need] to prevent female circumcision. We really need a ministry of women`s affairs that deals with women`s rights, maternity and childhood issues, and women`s health in rural areas.
That`s our ultimate goal. For many years, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development has tried to sell Saudi women`s clothing with Saudi female employees. Resolution 5/12/1440 reinforces this policy by introducing various provisions for retail environments, including the classification of retail environments into the following categories: closed market, open market, store, kiosk, area in a department store, stand-alone store or sub-area. The resolution states that the sale of lingerie and cosmetics in a stand-alone store, closed or open retail stores can only be carried out by Saudi women, while the sale of dresses, accessories, abayas, maternity care, shoes, socks, handbags and ready-to-wear can be carried out by both men and women. When selling perfumes and fabrics in stand-alone stores, open and closed markets, the retail staff can be 70% male and 30% female. Pharmacies, supermarkets and hypermarkets selling lingerie and cosmetics are not required to employ Saudi women in self-service departments. Women are encouraged to take on cashier roles. Technology is a central element of higher education for women. Many women`s colleges use distance learning to compensate for women`s poor access to transportation.
[125] Male lecturers are not allowed to lecture in female classrooms, and because there are few female lecturers, some universities use videoconferencing for male professors to teach female students without personal contact. [176] “The Ministry [of Labour] does not act to promote women`s employment because the best place for a woman is in her own home. Therefore, no woman is employed without the express consent of her guardian. We will also ensure that [the woman`s] work does not interfere with her work at home with her family or her eternal duty to raise her children. [148] The major legislative changes implemented in recent months demonstrate not only the government`s willingness, support, and determination to increase women`s participation in the workforce and bring the country closer to its Vision 2030 goal. but also go further in promoting equality and justice and modernizing employment practices in the Kingdom. In January 2019, the Saudi Ministry of Justice passed a new law that would prevent men from secretly divorcing their wives without informing them. Under the new settlement, the woman would receive a text message from the court when the divorce is processed. “Women. will be informed of the evolution of their marital status by SMS. Women in the kingdom can view documents related to the termination of their marriage contracts on the ministry`s website,” the Justice Ministry said.
[306] [307] Also in 2019, the number of female lawyers increased by 120%. [231] In 2009, the king appointed Norah al-Faiz as deputy minister of women`s education; She was the first female civil servant at the cabinet level. [78] This situation has changed slightly in recent years; In 2021, nearly 60% of all Saudi university students were women. [179] Some fields, such as law and pharmacy, are beginning to open up to women.