Things you won't believe are still prohibited for women in Saudi Arabia

Was married to a man from Pakistan in 1995-2000. He tried to make me like that. Told him he married an independent girl from USA. Knew that before we got married considering we met at work. Couple of times he hit me. Hit him back. Once leaving a hand print on his face for a week. He had punched me in the mouth and Drew blood. We separated in 1996. But couldn't get divorced until 2000. After my first hubby beat me and cheated on me I vowed no man would ever get away with treating me like that again.

I live in South Africa and to say we should have that here is utter nonsense. I can well remember when I was in Saudi Arabia seeing a man and a woman coming out to our plane and I assumed he would be in First Class and she in Economy - not at all uncommon. However, she was in First and when she was settled in the man left the plane leaving a very attractive lady as she had by then after his absence thrown off the abaya and hijab. She did not put them back on when we got to London.

This will continue as long as we sit by and do nothing. They say the civil war in the US was fought to free the slaves. Well, maybe it's time to free another sector of society from servitude and slavery, because what else can it be called? One does not have to advocate for feminism to speak out against this oppression, they just have to be human. When someone states that this is their culture, it's time to look at another regime that led 6 million Jews, 4 million minorities, and was responsible fore the murder of 20 million Slavic people. This after all was just their culture. What the hell is wrong with civilization that we tolerate this obviously oppressive culture with no end in sight for the victims?

OMG! I left Kenya for freedom of being. A man is not my God.

Makes my skin crawl. Despise their treatment of women. We are not chattels. The worst part is the young girls getting married off to older men.

Jacky Pierce Friedman, Good for you. It takes a strong woman to leave an SOB like that. It is unfortunate that American women stay with American men who beat and then kill them and the children all because of the woman saying she loves him. That's BS.

Jacky Pierce Friedman...good for you...no woman should have to accept that sort of behaviour from any man. .....regardless of where you live....

How can we, who live in THE LAND OF THE FREE be allied with a country that treats women like that?

Unbelievable. These poor women. Although I expect they are so immune to it, and accept it as the norm. But to make them so subservient, under the guise of 'protection' is horrific. She is absolutely under his thumb in every conceivable way. Oppression in its highest form. Evil. Inhumane. I do wish that some sort of movement could eradicate this so-called cultural 'belief'. It was never intended, by the Divine, God or any other description of a higher being, to dehumanise and degrade any human being. However, it is sometimes the way of the world. We need to urgently inform world-wide indignities and abuse suffered by people in any way we can.

Lost for words to describe this horrendous treatment of women :( We are ALL equal and should be treated that way. While we have so much freedom in Australia, there certainly is a little way to in the Political arena.

Andoy Angeles, American women finally were allowed to vote in the 1920s.

Ellen Sheehan, and our rights are diminishing.

I’m Canadian and still wore long skirts covered with the black abaya. In the day I could shop with a friend, female, at night, accompanied by my husband. ( and I am not Muslim) no alcohol, follow the strict rules. Friday nights they had beheadings. I did not go to watch. Very backward. Terry O'Rourke, Women under the thumb of the man.

I lived there for six years and it definitely was as they say. Elizabeth Clarke,

Yes, of course they do. I lived there, they just cover their clothes with these two pieces of black clothing. When in public. It was not well explained. Rudy Datoc,

I can’t comprehend that!!! Being forced to get married so young is just unbelievable!! I am still single and have no intentions of getting married until I meet the right guy! I thank God I have been born into a free country 🙏

I can’t comprehend that!!! Especially being arranged to be married so young. I choose if I want to marry, not because I am forced. I am 50 and still single and thank God I have been born into a free country 🙏

Caroline Weis, though more to the point, not given. It was fought for.

But so much is a question of degree, right? Commenters say US women are so lucky. And, yes, compared to so many other places, Americans are farther along. Yet, women comprise 50.52% of population and only 27% of government. Only 24 of the 100 senators are women. Most of the largest and most powerful religions do not allow women to become ministers or higher, like bishops (Catholics, Mormons, and most old-line Southern Baptists, for instance) Of America’s 500 highest grossing companies, only 15% have female CEOs. As for Hollywood, though many factors are to be considered, women tend to make 56% of their male counterparts. Just this past year women’s football (soccer) agreed to pay the same as men’s (helped that the women won more). Most sports women earn 1/10th of men. So, Saudi women, sadly have a Mt. Everest to climb to achieve any kind of freedom and equality. American women still have mountains of their own to climb. (including the appalling lack of childcare available and healthcare available).

Surely any system that accepts a nation that makes second class citizens of half the population has no place in the community of nations.

When will international society get the guts to condemn this collection of wealthy and bigoted r hold overs from the Middle Ages to the margin of civilization where they belong? Granting national recognition and legitimacy to the regime is an insult to all thinking people.

They remove their abaya and are dressed in Gucci and Channel!

Something similar goes on in every Muslim country and they want to impose it everywhere, you have been warned.