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If there’s one thing we’ve come to see from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the last few years is the country’s unyielding commitment to progress and growth.
From finally opening its borders to tourists to its ambitious plans for economic diversification, the change in Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the last couple of years has been one for the books.
But it’s the reforms for women in the Kingdom, in particular, which has been continuous and progressive under the visionary leader – and it is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to uplifting that nation.
Already transforming the Kingdom in substantial ways, here are seven changes MBS has spearheaded reform for Saudi women.
Lift Ban On Driving
Perhaps the most well-known law in regard to the Kingdom was the decades-spanning ban on women motorists. Since the early 1980s, the female population of Saudi Arabia have not been permitted to operate a vehicle. But in September 2017, HH Prince Mohammed Bin Salman officially revoked the ban, allowing women behind the wheel for the first time in decades. Remarkable progress for the laws that used to restrain women, the Saudi crown prince managed to accomplish this change in the first few months of his appointment.
Head Covering Deobligated
Rules and regulation changes aren’t only reserved for the realm of transportation either. Making waves in self-expression, as of 2018 the crown prince also has officially given women the choice to wear the hijab/abaya. Once a mandatory law, women are legally not required to wear any sort of head covering unless within religious sites.
Sexual Harassment Is A Crime
Not only reserved for women but made to protect men as well, HRH Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman passed renowned legislation to criminalise sexual harassment in the Kingdom. From workplaces to schools and even virtually on social media, the law came into effect in 2018 and intends to keep minors safe as well.
Divorce Rights For Women
Amongst the slew of laws the Saudi Crown Prince spearheads, to offer women protection and freedom of choice, legalities that defend divorced mothers are also introduced. Originally, once a woman was legally separated from her husband, she would then have to present a lawsuit in order to gain custody of their children. However, as of March 2018, new regulations were introduced removing the lawsuit requirement, rendering women with more leeway to retain custody.
Unrestricted movement
From school grounds to sports stadiums, HH Prince Mohammed bin Salman has announced many regulations that allow women unconfined mobility within spaces. Authorising women over the age of 21 to travel or enter sports stadiums without the guardianship of a man. Additionally, female students are also now permitted to carry phones on school campuses. Conquering the big and the small, His Royal Highness moves to adapt even the daily hindrance women face alongside the overarching obstructers.
Equal Pay for All
Launched in 2016, the trailblazing heir outlined closing the gender wage gap in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 program. A reform plan that sets out to fuel progressive changes economically, socially, environmentally and beyond. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the Kingdom has jumped 10 steps in ranks within the World Economic Forum’s gender-based salary gap global report.
High Power Positions
In conjunction with dissimilarities in wages, a discrepancy between the amount of men in high-power places versus women also exists across societies. Setting out to change that however, MBS has placed many royal and influential women in high-rgearded roles. For instance, in 2013, HH Princess Reema Bint Bandar became the first woman to serve as the President of the Saudi Federation for Community Sports. Alongside the princess, Fatimah Baeshen became the first woman to be appointed spokeswoman of the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington DC. Breaking new ground for the nation, both near and far, the Saudi Prince continues to introduce new laws and changes that actively improve the lives of the Kingdom’s women.
