Being born and raised in Saudi Arabia is one of the most traumatizing things that would have happened in my life. Saudi Arabia is known for its strict adherence to Islamic law, coupled with the male guardianship system (Rasheed, 2013). As a child, I would be introduced to the world where I would be expected to follow the norms and laws at a very tender age. The first thing that I would notice is the male chauvinism depicted by my father towards my mother. Critical to note is that under the male guardianship system, each woman in the country would be expected to have a male guardian who gives authority to the woman when making almost any decision.
One of the issues that I would be surprised to find out is the requirement to have women get permission from their male “guardians” when they seek to apply for government scholarships. Other issues that I would find surprising include permission to get married, traveling abroad, exiting prison, and applying for a passport. However, in April 2017, King Salman ordered that if no regulation prohibits it, women should be allowed to access services provided by the government without the permission of their male guardians. At the same time, the King ordered that agencies in the state should ensure that the list of procedures required for male guardian approval be provided in three months’ time.
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Although the above issues are traumatizing to understand, prohibiting women from having a driving license or simply driving would be much more inconceivable. I would be surprised to find that my mother cannot be allowed to drive me to school or the shopping mall. In fact, I would be upset that my sister will also be subjected to these laws. In such an environment, I would be filled with contempt since the gender laws in the country would make me subscribe to this school of thought.
References
Rasheed, M. (2013). A most masculine state: Gender, politics, and religion in Saudi Arabia.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
