[KENNETH MATIBA]

Women in Saudi Arabia, whether Saudi Arabian or foreign, emerge time and again as victims of discrimination and human rights violations because of the gender bias in law, social mores and traditions. While women have gained some ground in terms of economic rights, their civil and political rights are systematically violated. Equal treatment for women and men is a fundamental principle of international human rights standards. Yet in Saudi Arabia discriminatory practices against women are not only prevalent, they are also in some cases required by law.
- An Amnesty International report on Saudi Arabia.
Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive, leave the country without authorisation from their husband or father, leave the house in unsuitable attire12, hold high-ranking jobs or be involved in the government. In fact, it was not until 2000 that Saudi Arabian women were allowed their own ID cards; they had previously been registered on their husbands' or fathers' cards. Laws, such as those against adultery, that are applicable to both men and women seem to only allow women to be punished. When investigations against women are carried out they are often conducted improperly and make use of unreliable evidence.
Many of these crimes against women, such as wife-beating, are ordained by the Qur’an itself; others, such as female genital mutilation and honor killing, are praised by Islamic clerics and hallowed by Islamic culture. That feminists in the West remain silent about this deeply ingrained and institutionalized mistreatment of women, and even ally with groups that have devoted themselves to the spread of Islamic law that justifies this mistreatment, is one of the unconscionable scandals of our time.