In a recent article by Max Fisher, a writer for the Washington Post entitled, "Saudi Arabia’s oppression of women goes way beyond its ban on driving" Fisher Talks about how the root problem is that women are under Male guardianship.
Fisher states in the article that, "each Saudi woman has a "male guardian," typically their father or brother
or husband, who has the same sort of legal power over her that a parent
has over a child. She needs his formal permission to travel, work, go
to school or get medical treatment." This is the root of what should be changed to allow women to have more rights in Saudi Arabia the way this system is works it allows women to do nothing without her guardians permission. For instance what if a women gets injured according to this article a women can not get medical attention without her guardian, but say that the guardian is in a conference and refuses to answer a call, then it seems like the women will get no treatment and could end up dying.
Fisher also states, "It's one thing for women to depend on men to go anywhere, putting their
movement under male veto power. But it's quite another when they also
must have a man's approval to travel abroad, get a job or do just about
anything that involves being outside of the home." To have a guardians permission to do anything that seems basic to us, seems like the women of Saudi Arabia are treated like animals with basically no rights but those they are told they can have. This type of system seems like a horrible one considering that at some time the women wont be able to contact their guardian when they really need there permission due to no phone signal or a conference or just leaving there phone at home.
Lastly Fisher explains, "women are often taught from an early age to approach the world outside their male guardian's home with fear and shame. A 1980s "educational flyer"
still posted at a school in Buraydah warned against the "dangers that
threaten the Muslim woman," such as listening to music, going to a
mixed-gender mall or answering the telephone. It drove home that
"danger" with an image of a women, in a full black burqa, being stabbed
in the chest with a kitchen knife." This is more of a threat than any type of warning telling women respect all men and question nothing or you may end up being stabbed. All people who have almost had no rights in history were controlled with fear however eventually to much of fear will end up causing anger, and with that protests for rights, women in Saudi Arabia are already fighting hard for their rights now by protesting for the right to drive and the right to vote.
In my opinion I see no reason why women should have this guardian policy women have proven to be generally smarter than men, but maybe men in Saudi Arabia fear that women may eventually gain equal rights and may then treat men as the women have been treated.
