Saudi Arabia announced it's scaling back some of its restrictions against women, including now allowing women to travel without permission from a male relative and granting women more protections in the workplace.
The "sweeping legal changes to enhance the role of women in society" were announced Friday as part of the Vision 2030 plan, according to a statement from the Saudi Arabian government. Vision 2030 is an initiative from Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to revamp the conservative country's image, ABC News reported.
Starting at the end of August, women will be able to apply for passports "independently in the same manner that men apply," the statement said. Previously, women had to obtain permission from a male guardian to apply for a passport, according to CNN.
The country also announced enhanced protections for women in the workplace. One new law allows women to "independently open and run a business." Other new laws protect "against discrimination in the workplace, covering the periods of recruitment, employment and the setting of wages," the statement said. Women are also now protected from being fired from a job while pregnant.
Saudi Arabia has long faced scrutiny for its human rights record, including its treatment of women. In a report last year, Human Rights Watch said, "The Saudi state essentially treats women as permanent legal minors. Saudi Arabia has done very little to end the system, which remains the most significant impediment to women's rights in the country."
Bin Salman has reduced some restrictions, such as allowing gender mixing in public spaces and giving women the right to drive, The Washington Post reported. But the crown prince has also arrested women's rights advocates.
"This is a huge step forward but much remains for women's equality," tweeted Sarah Leah Witson, executive director of the Middle East and North Africa Division for Human Rights Watch. "Divorce laws, child custody laws and inheritance laws still harshly discriminate against women. Hope these are next to go, in stride with other Muslim countries that have made amendments."
About the Author
