Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is controlled by fundamentalist Muslims, has created one of the most restricted environments in the world for women. When the country held its first-ever local elections in 2005, only men older than 21 years were allowed to [Page 1278]vote. At 90 percent, Arabs form a considerable majority in Saudi Arabia, and all Saudis are officially Muslim. The situation for Saudi women has often been compared with that of aborigines living in South Africa under apartheid. Since Saudi women are considered what some women's rights groups have called “perpetual minors,” they are answerable to mahrams-male guardians-who may be husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, or other male relatives. Saudi women have virtually no freedom of movement. Those younger than 45 years can travel only by permission, and they must be accompanied by male chaperones. Though women older than 45 years technically have the legal right to travel without permission, airport officials usually demand that they show permission to travel outside the country. Saudi women are also forbidden to drive automobiles. They cannot even seek out medical care for themselves or their children without their mahram's permission. After they reach puberty, all females appearing in public are required to wear both abayas, black cloaks that cover their bodies, and niqbas, which cover their heads.

Mosques are generally reserved for men, and female access to public facilities such as parks, museums, and libraries is limited. Only 5 percent of the Saudi workforce is female, and those few who do work are segregated from male workers. Females must also obtain the permission of male guardians before becoming educated. Schools in Saudi Arabia are segregated by sex after the age of 6 years, and the first school for girls was not established until 1960. Today, the female literacy rate (70.8 percent) is considerably lower than that of men (78.8 percent).

The median age for females is 19.9 years. The infant mortality rate is 11.57 per 1,000 live births, with females (9.91) maintaining an advantage over males (13.15) that continues throughout life, resulting in a female life expectancy of 78.48 years compared with 74.23 years for males. In 1975, a royal decree was issued banning all contraceptives in Saudi Arabia. In 2009, the fertility rate was 3.83 children per woman.