Abstract
Attaining independence can foster development and give freedom to people where they can work, learn
and develop the nation together. However, this is not the case with Saudi Arabia, where rights of women
are vastly denied and restricted. To start with, when compared to the rights of women in other neighboring
countries, Women’s power in Saudi Arabia is considered to be limited. According to Global Gender Gap
Report, which was published by the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia was ranked as number 141 out
of 144 nations for the gender parity back in the year 2016. The United Nation Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) made a great attempt to elect Saudi Arabia in the United Nation Commission on the Status of
the Women for 2018 to 2022. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the various women’s rights in Saudi
Arabia. The paper will first represent the history and background on rights of women in Saudi Arabia, and
then provide some of the critical rights for women and what they are denied. The paper will finally present
the rights of women to education in Saudi Arabia.
History and Background of Women rights In Saudi Arabia
In the Saudi Arabia Community, the roles of gender come from the local interpretations of Sharia and
Culture. The Sharia Law, which can be considered to be the Islamic Law or the divine will, is derived by
the scholars, mainly via the Quran interpretation and hadith, which is a saying of accounts on the life of
Prophet. In this culture, the Sharia Law can be interpreted according to the Suni form, which is perceived as
a way of the Salaf (Hamdan, 2005). Therefore, it is crystal clear that Saudi Arabia is both religiously and
socially conservative. It is made up of high homogeneity of cultures which are based on the Islamic and
Tribal affiliations. Therefore, it has a complicated and unique culture, which makes it difficult for many
people to differentiate between the Arabic customs and the Islamic principles. Some of the Arabic Customs
that hinder women from driving a vehicle or on the other hand practice Engineering or Law works cannot
be considered as from the Islamic Principles or Law, but have become entrenched to the law through the
cultural interpretation (Jamjoom, 2010). In this case, most people see the functions of the women in Saudi
, Arabia on the broader community to be limited, and the country has one of the lowest, in fact, it is the
smallest participation of women in the workplace, mainly from the graduates (Subrahmanian, 2005). The
point makes the Saudi Arabian government face significant challenges and hard times, especially when it
has to accomplish or achieve the set objectives and goals of fundamental changes and development in a
manner that the social participation is critically required (Green, 1958).
General rights of Women and Limitations in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is one of the most popular countries all over the world that is known to have the most
limited rights for the women, and on top of that fact, the women in the nation are deemed to have had
minimal progression and development towards their better rights. For instance, back in the year 2013,
women did not have any reason to drive. The fact forced them to rely on men relatives to cater for their
transportation or eventually paid male drivers. According to scholars, this was a very restrictive law for the
women in Saudi Arabia and was perceived to deny them the overall right and freedom of independence.
Despite that, this was the law, and every person in Saudi Arabia is supposed to abide by the law and the set
regulations, it could be considered as gender biased (Glowacki-Dudka, Usman, & Treff, 2008). For
example, a mother who was driving to pick her kid because she could never rely or wait for the father or
other male relatives to be on time, she was evidently and forcefully pulled over the police, and police
officers requested her son to sign a document that promised his mother would never participate in driving
forever. After they held them for an extended period, the officers allowed them to go after the son signed
the agreement. This portrays that the Rights of Women in Saudi Arabia are one of the harshest right all over
the world (Glowacki-Dudka, Usman, & Treff, 2008). On the other hand, when considering the other
countries neighboring Saudi Arabia, which have already attained their Gender equality, we can pose a
question, what are the rights of women in Saudi Arabia?
Back in the year 1914, when the Arabian Peninsula entered into the first World War officially, the
Attaining independence can foster development and give freedom to people where they can work, learn
and develop the nation together. However, this is not the case with Saudi Arabia, where rights of women
are vastly denied and restricted. To start with, when compared to the rights of women in other neighboring
countries, Women’s power in Saudi Arabia is considered to be limited. According to Global Gender Gap
Report, which was published by the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia was ranked as number 141 out
of 144 nations for the gender parity back in the year 2016. The United Nation Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) made a great attempt to elect Saudi Arabia in the United Nation Commission on the Status of
the Women for 2018 to 2022. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the various women’s rights in Saudi
Arabia. The paper will first represent the history and background on rights of women in Saudi Arabia, and
then provide some of the critical rights for women and what they are denied. The paper will finally present
the rights of women to education in Saudi Arabia.
History and Background of Women rights In Saudi Arabia
In the Saudi Arabia Community, the roles of gender come from the local interpretations of Sharia and
Culture. The Sharia Law, which can be considered to be the Islamic Law or the divine will, is derived by
the scholars, mainly via the Quran interpretation and hadith, which is a saying of accounts on the life of
Prophet. In this culture, the Sharia Law can be interpreted according to the Suni form, which is perceived as
a way of the Salaf (Hamdan, 2005). Therefore, it is crystal clear that Saudi Arabia is both religiously and
socially conservative. It is made up of high homogeneity of cultures which are based on the Islamic and
Tribal affiliations. Therefore, it has a complicated and unique culture, which makes it difficult for many
people to differentiate between the Arabic customs and the Islamic principles. Some of the Arabic Customs
that hinder women from driving a vehicle or on the other hand practice Engineering or Law works cannot
be considered as from the Islamic Principles or Law, but have become entrenched to the law through the
cultural interpretation (Jamjoom, 2010). In this case, most people see the functions of the women in Saudi
, Arabia on the broader community to be limited, and the country has one of the lowest, in fact, it is the
smallest participation of women in the workplace, mainly from the graduates (Subrahmanian, 2005). The
point makes the Saudi Arabian government face significant challenges and hard times, especially when it
has to accomplish or achieve the set objectives and goals of fundamental changes and development in a
manner that the social participation is critically required (Green, 1958).
General rights of Women and Limitations in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is one of the most popular countries all over the world that is known to have the most
limited rights for the women, and on top of that fact, the women in the nation are deemed to have had
minimal progression and development towards their better rights. For instance, back in the year 2013,
women did not have any reason to drive. The fact forced them to rely on men relatives to cater for their
transportation or eventually paid male drivers. According to scholars, this was a very restrictive law for the
women in Saudi Arabia and was perceived to deny them the overall right and freedom of independence.
Despite that, this was the law, and every person in Saudi Arabia is supposed to abide by the law and the set
regulations, it could be considered as gender biased (Glowacki-Dudka, Usman, & Treff, 2008). For
example, a mother who was driving to pick her kid because she could never rely or wait for the father or
other male relatives to be on time, she was evidently and forcefully pulled over the police, and police
officers requested her son to sign a document that promised his mother would never participate in driving
forever. After they held them for an extended period, the officers allowed them to go after the son signed
the agreement. This portrays that the Rights of Women in Saudi Arabia are one of the harshest right all over
the world (Glowacki-Dudka, Usman, & Treff, 2008). On the other hand, when considering the other
countries neighboring Saudi Arabia, which have already attained their Gender equality, we can pose a
question, what are the rights of women in Saudi Arabia?
Back in the year 1914, when the Arabian Peninsula entered into the first World War officially, the
