Women in Saudi Arabia will receive a text message when a court ruling confirms their divorces — the latest step in a series of social reforms aimed at advancing women’s rights in the kingdom. The Saudi justice ministry said that starting from Sunday, courts will send messages informing women of their marital status after decisions on divorce filings have been finalised. Women can also log into the ministry’s website to check their marital status and view the divorce deed, the ministry added.
Men were previously allowed to divorce their wives, including the registration of divorce deeds at the court, without the woman’s knowledge. “This is a very excellent service because previously there have been many cases in which women are divorced without knowing their status,” Saudi lawyer Bayan Zahran told a local television channel. “It is one of her most basic rights to be informed if the husband divorces her.”
Women in Saudi Arabia have gained more rights over the past two years, following the launch of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Vision 2030” plan for economic and social reform. The kingdom lifted the ban on women driving last year, and restrictions have been loosened on female employment and mixing with the opposite sex, allowing more women to join the workforce in both government and the private sector.
The progress of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia
Increasing women’s participation in the labour market is seen as essential for the success of Prince Mohammed’s economic reforms, but female unemployment remains high at 31 per cent, according to the latest official data for the second quarter of 2018.
However, Saudi women remain forced to live under restrictions imposed on them by male guardianship rules that require the approval of a male relative to get married, travel abroad or leave prison. Female members of the Shura Council, the kingdom’s formal advisory body, presented a proposal last year to limit some aspects of male guardianship, but no major progress has been made on changing the laws and regulations.
Domestic calls demanding more rights for women have been subdued in recent months after authorities arrested several female activists who led the campaign to allow women to drive. Rights groups said the activists were tortured during interrogation. Officials say the women activists were arrested for carrying out intelligence activities for “foreign parties against the kingdom’s security and interests” and deny torture allegations.
