Women in Saudi Arabia will be notified of a divorce by SMS
'08.01.2019'
Source: Air force
In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, a ruling went into effect to end the practice of "secret divorce" in which husbands do not inform their wives when a marriage ends.
The authorities ordered the courts to notify women about the registration of a divorce by SMS, writes Bi-bi-si.
Human rights activists say that knowing their marital status will allow women to better protect their rights.
“The new measure will allow women to respect their rights in divorce,” Saudi lawyer Nisrin al-Ghamdi told Bloomberg. "It also ensures that powers of attorney issued prior to divorce are not misused."
“Many women have filed appeals in court because their husbands simply did not inform them of the divorce,” lawyer Samia al-Hindi told local newspaper Okaz.
The move is part of a massive economic and social reform undertaken by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In recent months, women have gained the right to drive cars, attend football matches, and work in certain occupations that were previously only available to men.
What Saudi women still can't do
Despite the improvement in the situation of gender inequality in the country, Saudi women still do not have the right to do many things without the permission of a male guardian. Among other things, they are prohibited by themselves:
- apply for a passport;
- go abroad;
- get married;
- open a bank account;
- do a planned operation;
- leave prison.
