[Washington Post] Wajeha Al-Huwaider - I am a native of Saudi Arabia, a 47-year-old divorced mother of two teenage sons, and an employee of Saudi Aramco. At the border crossing from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, I refuse to present a document signed by my male "guardian," giving his permission for me to travel. I possess such a document, but I am tired of being humiliated solely because I am a woman. The guardianship rules are only part of a bigger system of subjugating women. Even with the permission of a guardian, a woman may not drive a car. Women in Saudi Arabia may not go out without an abaya, an ugly black cloak that we have to wear on top of our regular clothes. You can imagine how great that feels in 100-degree heat. The writer is a co-founder of the Society for Defending Women's Rights in Saudi Arabia.
2009-08-20 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive