A new regulation has come into effect in Saudi Arabia meaning women can no longer be divorced without their knowledge.
The measure approved by the justice ministry “appears aimed at curbing seemingly rampant cases of men secretly ending marriages without informing their wives”, The Times of Israel says.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Many women have filed appeals to courts over being divorced without their knowledge, lawyer Samia al-Hindi told local newspaper Okaz, and the BBC says the new law “would ensure women are fully aware of their marital status and can protect rights such as alimony”.
The message will include the divorce certificate number and the name of the relevant court where the women can pick up the documentation. Women can also inquire about their marital status through a website and view details of any probate certificates.
Saudi Justice Minister Sheikh Waleed bin Mohammed al Samaani said that by notifying women of the change to their legal status, the text message system would bring transparency to the legal proceedings around divorce.
The Daily Mail reports that divorce in the kingdom has more than doubled since 2005 to 45%, although “it remains significantly easier and more frictionless, under the kingdom's heavily gender-biased laws, for a man to divorce his wife than for a woman to divorce a man”.
From last year, mothers in Saudi Arabia are also able to retain custody of their children after divorce without filing lawsuits; part of a series of economic and social reforms pushed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that includes allowing women to drive, attend football matches and work in jobs traditionally reserved for men.
However, the Daily Telegraph says “increasing numbers of female activists have been detained and critics say the reforms are too piecemeal”.
Bloomberg reports “women are still shackled by a male guardianship system that requires them, according to Human Rights Watch, to receive approval to apply for a passport, travel outside the country, study abroad on a government scholarship, get married or even exit prison”.
-
Should you add your child to your credit card?The Explainer You can make them an authorized user on your account in order to help them build credit
-
Cracker Barrel crackup: How the culture wars are upending corporate brandingIn the Spotlight Is it 'woke' to leave nostalgia behind?
-
'It's hard to discern what it actually means'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Israel-US 'rift': is Trump losing patience with Netanyahu?Today's Big Question US president called for an end to Gaza war and negotiated directly with Hamas to return American hostage, amid rumours of strained relations
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
