Saudi law states that all women must have a male guardian, typically a husband, father or brother, who gives them permission to study, travel abroad or marry. A Human Rights Watch report on male guardianship, published in July, found ‚a woman’s life is controlled by a man from birth until death‘ in Saudi Arabia, as their ability to pursue a career or make life decisions is restricted. Despite limited reforms in 2009 and 2013 to reduce male control over women, which included no longer requiring permission for women to work and making domestic abuse illegal, the report found the system remains largely in place.“ (Samuel Osborne: „Saudi Arabia jails man for a year after he publically called for end of male control over women“)
