Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Saudi Arabia Relaxes Legal Restrictions On Women

Human Rights Watch reported earlier this month on significant changes that Saudi Arabia has made to its restrictions on women's rights:
The legal changes, adopted by a Council of Ministers decision and endorsed by royal decree M.134, will allow Saudi women to obtain passports without the approval of a male relative, register births of their children, and benefit from new protections against employment discrimination. Saudi official sources have announced that women over 21 will no longer require male guardian permission to travel abroad, but the Council of Ministers decision makes no reference to women’s freedom to travel....
The Council of Ministers decision on July 31, 2019, published in the official gazette on August 1, amend the Travel Documents Law, the Civil Status Law, and the Labor Law.