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Women's rights in Saudi Arabia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Women's rights in Saudi Arabia is a topic of international concern and controversy. Women in Saudi Arabia experience widespread discrimination in Saudi politics, economy and society.
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General Statistics | |
---|---|
Maternal mortality (per 100,000) | 12 (2015)[1] |
Women in parliament | 19.9% (2016)[2] |
Women over 25 with secondary education | 77.2% (2020)[3] |
Women in labour force | 37.0% (2022)[4] |
Gender Inequality Index[5] (2021) | |
Value | 0.247 |
Rank | 59th out of 191 |
Global Gender Gap Index[6] (2022) | |
Value | 0.636 |
Rank | 127th out of 146 |
Saudi women have benefited from some legal reforms since 2017,[7][8][9][10] after facing fundamentalist Wahhabi dominance for decades.[11][12] According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Saudi women are still discriminated against in terms to marriage, family, and divorce despite the reforms,[13][14] and the Saudi government continues to target and repress women's rights activists and movements.[15] Prominent feminist campaigns include the Women to Drive Movement[16] and the anti male-guardianship campaign,[17][18] which have led to significant advances in women's rights.[19]
Women's societal roles in Saudi Arabia are heavily affected by Islamic and local traditions of the Arabian Peninsula. Wahhabism, the Hanbali school of Sunni Islam, traditions of the Arabian Peninsula and national and local laws all impact women's rights in Saudi Arabia.[20]