Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: SEGI-PRACTICE-2

"The widely praised granting of driving rights to women can be interpreted as institutionalized tokenism, especially when the broader political and civil rights landscape for Saudi women remains lacking in progress. The irony is palpable, several women who championed the driving ban continue to languish behind bars" (par. 10). "Journalists and activists face imprisonment. In some cases, they also face execution for sharing opposing views on online platforms. Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani, a Saudi citizen whose details are barely known, was given a 45-year sentence for social media posts. Following that is Salma al-Shehab, a Leeds University scholar who received 27 years in prison for Twitter activism" (par. 11). "Loujain...more

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: LBHO-PRACTICE-3

"Frequently, these appointments emerge from privileged and affluent circles. For instance, take Princess Reema bint Bandar, the ambassador appointee. She is a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family; the daughter of a former ambassador to the US who held the position for an extended period. Often, members of the royal family have unique opportunities and responsibilities that set them apart from others. Her status and background automatically distinguish her from average Saudi women" (par. 7).

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: GP-DATA-4

"Launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016, the Saudi government embarks on an ambitious modernization odyssey with Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia developed the plan based on recommendations from the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. This vision aims, among many things, at gender reform. While I perceive it as a marketing gambit, the stated goal is to amplify women’s influence in the Saudi socio-economic landscape" (par. 3). "The agenda makes bold pronouncements about women’s empowerment. It is aiming to elevate women’s labor market participation from 22% to 30% by 2030. In line with these promises, the labor participation of Saudi women has indeed shot up dramatically. At face value,...more

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: ERBG-PRACTICE-1

"An insightful dissection of the labor market data highlights the increase of Saudi women in historically male-dominated sectors like retail, food and manufacturing. However, a recent analysis of this trend reveals a troubling detail: Numerous women are shoehorned into roles with ambiguous parameters, grueling hours and low pay. Quite frequently, they’re merely stepping into the shoes of unskilled migrant workers in tenuous positions" (par. 5).

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: ERBG-DATA-2

"In 2018, women were only 15% of the Saudi workforce" (par. 4).

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: AFE-LAW-1

"The recalibration of the guardianship laws allows women over 21 amplified autonomies in areas like education, healthcare, employment and travel. However, they do still need a male relative’s permission when it comes to significant life choices such as marriage and getting a passport to leave the country' (par. 9).

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: GP-DATA-1

"Shihana Alazzaz was appointed deputy secretary-general of the council of ministers in Saudi Arabia in 2022, becoming the first woman to hold the position" (para 16).

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: TRAFF-DATA-1

"The case is coming to a fore as another American mother’s custody plight has reached a dark impasse. Carly Morris, a native of California, returned to the US weeks ago after years of being held captive in the kingdom by her ex-husband, but was forced to leave her eight-year-old daughter, Tala, behind following a custody dispute. Morris traveled to Saudi Arabia with Tala in 2019 so that they could visit Morris’s ex-husband – Tala’s father – and his relatives. But Morris told the Guardian she was essentially held captive in a hotel room for years while Tala’s father took Tala out during the day. After getting internet access during the...more

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: CUST-LAW-1

"Both Americans’ cases reveal how Saudi Arabia’s laws treat women and foreigners in child custody fights, where fathers are the default guardians of their children. Even in cases where divorced women are granted custody of their child, the child’s Saudi father is still considered the legal guardian, with authority over all important decisions" (para 9).

Countries: Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey
Variables: MARR-PRACTICE-8

"Estimates on consanguineous marriage prevalence around the world vary. Studies have put Pakistan as having one of the highest rates globally at 65 per cent of unions. This is followed by India (55 per cent), Saudi Arabia (50 per cent), Afghanistan (40 per cent), Iran (30 per cent) and Egypt and Turkey (20 per cent each)" (para 46-48).

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1

"Albukhaiti added: 'Only 5% of Houthi crimes have been revealed, and their attitude to women is not far different from the Taliban. Houthi leaders support arbitrary detention, and have detained many women in Yemen, but they do not endorse sexual crimes as policy. Within their detention centres there is sexual abuse and harassment by officers, and trade-offs to get sexual benefits in return for release.' But he said Houri had told him her claim that the Houthis demanded she lure Houthi politicians with sex and then film them to prevent them from defecting, in effect attempted blackmail, was not true." (par. 9-10).

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: EWCMS-PRACTICE-3

"Houri was released from a Houthi jail in 2019 and gave numerous powerful interviews, mainly on Arabic channels, claiming female prisoners were systematically raped, mistreated and held for ransom. Her testimony contributed to UN security council sanctions being imposed on two Houthi security officials in February 2021. It was later alleged that she admitted some of her testimony on Arabic TV was untrue and she had embellished claims at the request of Saudi officials. . .He said Houri had told him that some, but not all, she said about her time in prison was either false or embellished. She had told him that some of the embellishment was on the...more

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: LRCM-DATA-2, MURDER-DATA-1

"A ‘celebrity’ Saudi preacher accused of raping, torturing and killing his five-year-old daughter has reportedly been released from custody after agreeing to pay ‘blood money’. Fayhan al-Ghamdi had been accused of killing his daughter Lama, who suffered multiple injuries including a crushed skull, broken back, broken ribs, a broken left arm and extensive bruising and burns. Social workers say she had also been repeatedly raped and burnt. Fayhan al-Ghamdi admitted using a cane and cables to inflict the injuries after doubting his five-year-old daughter’s virginity and taking her to a doctor, according to the campaign group Women to Drive" (para 1-3).

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: MURDER-LAW-1

"Fayhan al-Ghamdi had been accused of killing his daughter Lama, who suffered multiple injuries including a crushed skull, broken back, broken ribs, a broken left arm and extensive bruising and burns. Social workers say she had also been repeatedly raped and burnt. Fayhan al-Ghamdi admitted using a cane and cables to inflict the injuries after doubting his five-year-old daughter’s virginity and taking her to a doctor, according to the campaign group Women to Drive. Rather than getting the death penalty or receiving a long prison sentence for the crime, Fayhan al-Ghamdi served only a few months in jail before a judge ruled the prosecution could only seek ‘blood money’.Albawaba News...more

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: NGOFW-DATA-1

"Fayhan al-Ghamdi admitted using a cane and cables to inflict the injuries after doubting his five-year-old daughter’s virginity and taking her to a doctor, according to the campaign group Women to Drive" (para 3).