The UN’s Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Mr. Ahmed Shaheed, criticized the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s practices against women. In his annual report, issued on 27 February 2020 in the framework of the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council, Shaheed focused on the issue of gender-based violence and discrimination in the name of religion. He gave representative examples of laws based on religious principles or state practices that impact gender equality.
The report laid out several cases recently raised by UN experts, in which laws based on religious beliefs led to the justification of gender-based violence and discrimination.
The report also pointed out legalized discrimination in personal status and family laws that are based on religious interpretations. These laws may prevent women from leaving violent relationships that affect their safety and many other rights.
The rapporteur explained that, despite the recent reforms in the guardianship system, women and girls in Saudi Arabia continue to suffer from systematic discrimination in law and practice in many areas, with religious justifications.
The report confirmed that Saudi women do not enjoy adequate protection from gender-based violence.
The Rapporteur concluded his report with several recommendations, including calling on states to review their laws and practices to ensure respect for all global human rights principles and the right to equality and lack of discrimination. Likewise, the report called on them to withdraw all objections to human rights conventions and to abolish discriminatory laws.
In August 2019, Saudi Arabia announced some changes to the guardianship system, allowing women to apply for a passport and register a birth, death, divorce, or marriage. In addition, restrictions on women’s freedom of movement were loosened. However, these changes did not abolish the guardianship system, as they did not allow women to marry without a guardian, and there are still discriminatory practices in the areas of divorce and transfer of nationality. Women continue to lack adequate protections from violence. Despite the issuance of the law on protection from domestic violence, girls who go to the courts and shelters still need permission from their guardian to leave.