Women rights have been blatantly violated for many years in Saudi Arabia. Male guardianship system, a regressive and deeply entrenched in patriarchal ethos, is being practised till date.
You can’t drive, you can’t step out without a male company, you cannot wear clothes and makeup which “show off your beauty,” you cannot interact with men (to whom you are not related) for long, you can’t compete in sports, and other such you-cannots.
Conservatives have argued that women should not oppose the traditional roles and restrictions prescribed to them as Saudi Arabia is the closest thing to an “ideal and pure Islamic nation.”
But there are women who have been opposing this skewed idea of ‘purity.’
The widely criticised male guardianship system is being opposed by many women and men. Infact a Saudi man was jailed for a year after he called for an end to this conservative system.
Saudi Arabia is also on the watchlist of Human Rights Watch for persecuting prominent activists and dissidents.
After counting all the oppressions it would be unfair to not give them credit for taking a step forward. A step was taken to embrace the spirit of Women’s Day.
Personally, I feel a token acknowledgement is not the way to go. Sadly there is no level-playing field which doesn’t require the need to designate a Women’s Day or even Men’s Day.
We have come to the point where we have to acknowledge opposite sex’ presence. That itself speaks volumes of our prejudices and biases, practised mindlessly for ages.
Although, the point is, we need the spirit of Women’s Day to spread the message of upliftment of women in our society, lives and in our minds. Saudi Arabia took a giant leap by celebrating its version of Women’s Day, by organising a 3-day gathering from 1st Feb to 4th Feb, at the King Fahd Cultural Centre in the capital of Riyadh.
Female members of the Saudi royal family also participated in the gathering setting an example to embrace the equal footing which women deserve.
The programme included panel discussions on various important issues and with the active participation from the royal family, the event was quite influential too. Princess Adila bint Abdullah Al-Saud, a known advocate of women’s right to drive, women’s health awareness and women’s legal rights, held a talk about the kingdom’s heritage. Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, the president’s undersecretary for the female section at the General Authority for Sports, also highlighted the importance of sports. Princess Al-Jawhara bint Fahd Al-Saud hosting a discussion on women’s roles in education.
Though with certain adopted measures and reforms, domestic abuse has become illegal and women no longer need permission to work, the implementation in real lives is yet to be achieved significantly.
We hope that the fight for equal rights for women gains prominence and such triumphant strides are taken every now and then.