European Parliament Calls on Saudi Arabia to End Guardianship of Women

On Thursday, February 25, the European Parliament urged Saudi Arabia to abolish laws regarding the guardianship of women by male family members. According to these laws, women must obtain permission from their male guardian for many aspects of life, including marriage. The European Parliament states that these laws have relegated Saudi women to second-class citizens. Members of the European Parliament also expressed concern about 'government online services' that allow male guardians to track women's travel outside the country. An application called 'Absher' notifies male guardians of women's travel. Despite the removal of some aspects of women's guardianship in Saudi Arabia over the years, it is still enforced according to the country's laws and customs. Under this custom, every Saudi woman has a male guardian, usually a father, husband, or sometimes a brother, uncle, or even son. Women must obtain permission from their guardian to marry, receive a passport, and travel abroad. In a resolution passed with more than two-thirds of the votes, the European Parliament called on the Saudi government to immediately abolish these regulations. The resolution states that the current regulations effectively turn women into 'second-class citizens.' Members of the European Parliament emphasized that member states of the union should continue to pressure Riyadh to improve human rights and the status of women. European Parliament resolutions are not legally binding but can influence the decisions of member countries and institutions of the union. Reuters reminds that on Wednesday, the European Commission added Saudi Arabia to the list of countries deemed dangerous due to weak anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing efforts. Since the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in early October last year, relations between the European Union and Saudi Arabia have cooled. Despite reforms made by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in recent years, including granting women the right to drive, the European Parliament states that 'the political and social system in Saudi Arabia remains discriminatory.' The European Parliament also called for the release of women's rights activists, some of whom have been arrested for participating in the campaign to end the ban on women driving. This body urged Saudi Arabia to abolish the death penalty, noting that in the country, the death penalty is still enforced for non-violent crimes such as drug trafficking, adultery, and apostasy. In another resolution in October, the European Parliament called for an international investigation into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and urged member countries to stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia.