HRW: Saudi Arabia's male guardianship policies harm women

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The Saudi government should abide by its international obligations and dismantle discriminatory policies against women, including male guardianship of women, a report by the New York-based Human Rights Watch said. The 50-page report, which will be released Monday, draws on more than 100 interviews with Saudi women to document the effects of these policies on their rights. "The Saudi government sacrifices basic human rights to maintain male control over women," said Farida Deif, women's rights researcher for the Middle East at Human Rights Watch. "Saudi women won't make any progress until the government ends the abuses that stem from these misguided policies." The report, "Perpetual Minors: Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia," lists the restrictions that women find themselves under because of male guardianship and the segregation of sexes enforced in the kingdom.