World

Saudi Arabia to Tackle Male Guardianship System Abuse, Reports Say

RIYADH – Saudi Arabia plans to investigate the misuse of its male guardianship system, following increased scrutiny after an 18-year-old woman’s flight to Thailand last month highlighted the issue.

In Saudi Arabia, every woman is assigned a male guardian—usually a father or husband, but it can also be an uncle, brother, or son—whose consent is required for marriage, passport issuance, and international travel.

Human rights organizations argue that this system reduces women to second-class status, stripping them of essential social and economic rights and rendering them more susceptible to violence.

Due to the absence of a formal legal framework to accompany the principles of sharia law, Saudi authorities have often relied on cultural traditions when enforcing restrictions on women. As a result, many elements of the guardianship system are based on informal customs rather than written laws.

The public prosecutor, Saud al-Mojeb, stated that his office would make concerted efforts to protect individuals—including women and children—from abuse that stems from improper use of guardianship powers. However, he noted that his office receives only a limited number of complaints related to this issue.

Activists have expressed concern that many women hesitate to report abuses to law enforcement, fearing it may put their safety at greater risk. They continue to advocate for the abolition of the guardianship system, which has seen gradual concessions over the years but is still in place.

Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, some freedoms have been introduced, such as lifting the ban on women driving and easing gender segregation. Nonetheless, these reforms have coincided with a crackdown on dissent, including the arrests and alleged torture of women’s rights advocates and religious leaders.

Last year, Prince Mohammed suggested that he supported the idea of ending the guardianship system but did not explicitly endorse its elimination.

The case of Rahaf Mohammed, who escaped from her family while on holiday in Kuwait and sought help via social media from an airport in Bangkok, sparked significant online advocacy that ultimately led to her receiving asylum in Canada after Thailand reversed its decision to return her to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is recognized as one of the most gender-segregated nations globally, ranking 138 out of 144 countries in a 2017 assessment of the Global Gender Gap, which evaluates women’s economic and political participation, health, and education.

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