A Woman’s Life in Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern country that holds a large portion of the world’s oil reserves. It is the birthplace of Islam that contains the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The country is ruled by a king, and the laws of the nation are set by the holy book of Islam, the Quran. Saudi Arabia is an ally of the United States, and was a host country to US troops during and after the First Gulf War. It is a dry country, meaning no alcohol is allowed in the country, and harsh penalties come to those who smuggle alcohol or drugs in (CIA). Although all this is true about Saudi Arabia, a definition of the country alone is not appropriate to learn about it. To do that, one must study the people and the choices that they can make in their lifetime.
Women’s rights are an important topic on many Saudi blogs, both by men and women. Many of the issues mirror those of other countries, including the United States. Both countries have a situation where women aren’t as well paid as men, and women aren’t the breadwinners nearly as often as men. Some of the issues, such as creating women’s sports and increasing women’s education, have also become a major point of debate. Because some of the changes in women’s rights were only made a generation ago, the US people should be able to understand the difficulty and need for changes in Saudi society. Other problems, however, were changed in the Western nations so long ago that very few people remember the changes, so it seems as though things have always been the way that they are.
Many issues facing women in Saudi Arabia are unique to Arab and Islamic nations. The Quran, the holy book of Islam, has been interpreted in a manner that many consider to be unfair to women. The Women are often not allowed to leave their homes without a male guardian, and, in those cases, must rely on a male family member to take them to work or anywhere else they may want or need to go. Saudi officials only recently announced that women may get the privilege to drive later this year. At the moment, women must either have a father, brother, or husband drive them if they do not have a driver. If they have someone to drive them, they still need written permission from their male guardian to travel. Women have also only recently been given the right to sell lingerie at retailers after complaints with having to buy it from men (La Guardia). All of these constraints are trivial when compared to the fact that many Saudi marriages are arranged by a bride’s parents. Many brides will not know or will barely know the man that they are about to marry .
Now that the Saudi people have started to demand changes, and they do so in a peaceful manner, it is only a matter of time before the changes are met. The blog Saudijeans has compared the segregation of men and women to the US segregation of blacks and whites half a century ago. Saudis can only push forward from where they are now, and continue to take up more jobs and study harder. The only thing that can truly stop the movement toward freedom is indifference and acceptance of what they already have, because change is only earned through perseverance through hardship. As long as they hold their heads high and continue to peacefully question authority, then the day when women are considered equals to men in society and can make their own choices is not far ahead.
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