Essay Sample on Women Rights in Saudi Arabia

Introduction

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest economies in the world and a key player in the Middle East. The country is located to the western part of Asia and follows the Islam teachings to a great extent as most of the residents are Muslims. The rights of women in the country are a great concern to many people across the world and this is because women are restricted from doing a large number of things. They do not have a right to participate in many sports or to drive among other things. It was only in 2011 when women were allowed to participate in political activities since the establishment of the country in 1932. The essay is meant to analyze the country and identify some of these restrictions facing women. The research question is "why are there limitations against women in Saudi Arabia?" The answers to this question can be found in the historical and empirical evidence from the country. The country is known to be among the most conservative societies in the world. Women are restricted as per the interpretations of the sharia law which guides Islam. The thesis of this essay is that women in Saudi Arabia are exposed to many restrictions that are against the international rights for women and against the gender equality principles.

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Religious, Political, and Economy of Saud Arabia

The religion in Saudi Arabia is mainly Islam, and it is correct to virtually assume that all citizens are Muslims. The religion is divided into Sunni and Shia Muslim and the two groups have relatively the same teachings. The teachings of this religion are oppressive to women as compared to other religions. There are about 1.5 million Christians and about 390,000 Hindus who are all foreign workers. The rest of the religions like atheists and agnostics but they are of referred to as terrorists (Buchan 108). The politics of the country is in form of a monarchy and the king has to comply with the sharia laws and the teachings of the Quran. The country does not have any political parties or elections and the only political process that takes place is within the Al Saud, the royal family and between this family and the rest of the society. The royal family may consult the significant commercial families, sheikhs, and elders in the society but this is not reported in the media as is seen in other countries. The tribal sheiks and identity determine the political strength that people have. Men have a right to petition the decisions of the king via the tribal meetings known as Majlis but women are not allowed. The king has control over the judiciary, and also acts as the legislature and the executive (Kosebalaban 417). The three functions operate as per the wishes of the monarchy. The royal family dominates the political system and only men can make decisions.

The economy of the country is one of the largest and it is mainly supported by oil production. It is also the largest economy in the Middle East and the 18th largest in the entire world. The country has the second largest oil reserves in the world, the leading exporter of oil and has the highest consumption of oil in the world. Oil production contributes to about 45% of the economy in the country. The country has also promoted many agricultural sectors and these include the fish, poultry, meat, dairy, and eggs. There is a growth in tourism and this also contributes to the economy.

From the analysis of the country, there are there main things that are outstanding; the first thing is that there are no adequate rights for women. For example, women are not allowed to drive, to wear in a manner that exposes their beauty and to make major decisions on their own. The other factor is that the political decisions are made solely by the royal family and only men can question the authorities. The third thing is that the country is economically strong and has adequate resources that can be used to promote the rights for women. Women are fully controlled by men and they have limited rights to control their life (Al Alhareth, Al Alhareth and Al Dighrir 121). Contrary to many other countries, Saudi Arabia's culture does not allow women to participate in most of the sports, to try clothes when buying, to interact freely with men, or to drive their cars.

Conclusion

The analysis shows that women do not have the rights that women have in other countries. The world today is in the process of increasing the rights of women and to promote equality. There are many organizations that support the rights of women and the monarchy in Saudi Arabia should join the rest of the world in increasing the rights that women enjoy. The aim of the essay was to find out why women are exposed to these restrictions and it is evident from the analysis that the restrictions are as a result of the sharia laws followed in the country. The key points from the analysis include the rights that women do not have and how political decisions are made. The most surprising things are how women have no right to make decisions or interact with men. The findings show that these laws are only applicable in the country and the rest of the world is significantly different. The findings also prove that the thesis was true that women in Saudi Arabia are exposed to many restrictions that are against the international rights for women and against the gender equality principles.

Works Cited

Al Alhareth, Yahya, Yasra Al Alhareth, and Ibtisam Al Dighrir. "Review of women and society in Saudi Arabia." American Journal of Educational Research 3.2 (2015): 121-125.

Buchan, James. "Secular and religious opposition in Saudi Arabia." State, Society and Economy in Saudi Arabia (RLE Saudi Arabia). Routledge, 2015. 108-126.

Kosebalaban, Hasan. "Saudi Arabia in Transition: Insights on Social, Political, Economic and Religious Change. Edited by Bernard Haykel, Thomas Hegghammer, and Stephane Lacroix. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2015. vii+ 351 pp. $85.00 Cloth, $32.99 Paper." Politics and Religion9.2 (2016): 417-419.