INTRO
Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle Eastern area of the world with bordering neighbors such as Iraq and Jordan. Since it is considered the birthplace of Islam, the government imposes and enforces Sharia Law which is the restricting law of Islam, on its people. This harsh religious legal system inflicts many restrictions on the people underneath it. For instance, theft leads to amputation and criticizing the government can lead to a punishment as horrible as death. Of all of the people in Saudi Arabia who must follow these limitations, women are definitely one of the most affected by the rules of this Islamic, fundamentalist, and highly gender-segregated state. King Abdullah, the former leader of Saudi Arabia fought for women's …show more content…
Men still have to drive them to the polls to be able to vote in the elections and almost all of the women have to get permission from their husbands and/or fathers to get involved with them. The women who were able to vote were only allotted one day to do so. Even the females running to be elected were not allowed to speak to men face to face but through a male spokesman (Xanthe Ackerman and Christina Asquith, 1). King Abdullah was able to appoint one women named Norah Al Faiz to be a deputy minister of education and women's affairs for the first time in their history. While these women act as role models for the future of the Islamic fundamentalist state, they still have a long way to go to before they break the gender inequality barriers that are still extremely present in this Middle Eastern …show more content…
It is still banned and illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, although they have been pushing for this to be uplifted. Being able to drive is a big step in them recognizing the freedoms they can have. Other policies that are still in place forbid women from having a passport, travelling, marrying, or getting a higher education without permission. Women are required to wear fully cover themselves when they are out in public with an abaya (black cloaks), hiijab (headscarf), or niqab (headscarf with a slit for the eyes), or a burqa which covers the body from head to toe, and had mesh for the eyes (S.B., 1). In public, men and women are extremely segregated because it is against Sharia Law for them to interact. Up until recently, a wall was built in a Starbucks in the capital Riyadh. After reconstruction, it was taken down so the women are banned from entering due to a sign that says: "Please no entry for ladies only send your driver to order thank you" ("Eleven things women in Saudi Arabia cannot do" 1). Now, they cannot go anywhere without a male guardian to act as their chaperone in public facilities where they are not to be seen. They are not allowed to travel without permission from a man; it is illegal. What women can achieve with personal wealth and property is negatively affected by the harsh social customs they must abide by (Jill Crystal, 1). "Women
Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle Eastern area of the world with bordering neighbors such as Iraq and Jordan. Since it is considered the birthplace of Islam, the government imposes and enforces Sharia Law which is the restricting law of Islam, on its people. This harsh religious legal system inflicts many restrictions on the people underneath it. For instance, theft leads to amputation and criticizing the government can lead to a punishment as horrible as death. Of all of the people in Saudi Arabia who must follow these limitations, women are definitely one of the most affected by the rules of this Islamic, fundamentalist, and highly gender-segregated state. King Abdullah, the former leader of Saudi Arabia fought for women's …show more content…
Men still have to drive them to the polls to be able to vote in the elections and almost all of the women have to get permission from their husbands and/or fathers to get involved with them. The women who were able to vote were only allotted one day to do so. Even the females running to be elected were not allowed to speak to men face to face but through a male spokesman (Xanthe Ackerman and Christina Asquith, 1). King Abdullah was able to appoint one women named Norah Al Faiz to be a deputy minister of education and women's affairs for the first time in their history. While these women act as role models for the future of the Islamic fundamentalist state, they still have a long way to go to before they break the gender inequality barriers that are still extremely present in this Middle Eastern …show more content…
It is still banned and illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, although they have been pushing for this to be uplifted. Being able to drive is a big step in them recognizing the freedoms they can have. Other policies that are still in place forbid women from having a passport, travelling, marrying, or getting a higher education without permission. Women are required to wear fully cover themselves when they are out in public with an abaya (black cloaks), hiijab (headscarf), or niqab (headscarf with a slit for the eyes), or a burqa which covers the body from head to toe, and had mesh for the eyes (S.B., 1). In public, men and women are extremely segregated because it is against Sharia Law for them to interact. Up until recently, a wall was built in a Starbucks in the capital Riyadh. After reconstruction, it was taken down so the women are banned from entering due to a sign that says: "Please no entry for ladies only send your driver to order thank you" ("Eleven things women in Saudi Arabia cannot do" 1). Now, they cannot go anywhere without a male guardian to act as their chaperone in public facilities where they are not to be seen. They are not allowed to travel without permission from a man; it is illegal. What women can achieve with personal wealth and property is negatively affected by the harsh social customs they must abide by (Jill Crystal, 1). "Women