Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Praise Saudi Arabia’s Efforts to Promote Women’s Economic Empowerment, Ask about Progress in Abolishing the Male Guardianship System and Promoting Women’s Access to Justice
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the fifth periodic report of Saudi Arabia, with Committee Experts praising the State’s measures promoting women’s economic empowerment and raising questions about its progress in abolishing the male guardianship system and promoting women’s access to justice.
A Committee Expert welcomed initiatives for women within the Saudi Vision 2030. The increase in women’s participation in the labour force showed the State’s efforts to promote the economic empowerment of women.
One Committee Expert said the State party continued to entrust the protection of women to male guardians. The guardianship system led to women being controlled by their guardians and being subjected to domestic violence. When would the Kingdom abolish male guardianship?
Nahla Haidar, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Saudi Arabia, noted that there were barriers to access to justice for women in Saudi Arabia, including due to the guardianship system. What measures were in place to ensure women could benefit from legal services?
Hala Mazyad Altuwaigri, President of the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia and head of the delegation, said the Saudi Vision 2030 included numerous programmes that sought to increase women’s participation in the labour market. The Government had launched the “Qurra” programme to support childcare services for working women, and part-time and remote work programmes for women. As a result of these national efforts, the participation rate of women in the labour market until the end of the second quarter of 2024 was 35.4 per cent.
In 2017, the delegation reported, a Royal Decree was adopted that made the guardianship system obsolete. Women no longer needed permission to receive State services, including police services. Husbands were not allowed to impose obedience on their wives; such actions were grounds for the dissolution of marriages.
Access to justice was ensured for women on an equal footing with men, the delegation said. Women were allowed to access the judicial system in marriage and divorce matters. An application had been developed that allowed the Ministry of Justice to share documents and rulings on court cases with women living in rural areas, giving them access to justice.
In closing remarks, Ms. Altuwaigri said the recommendations provided by the Committee would be heeded and followed up on by Saudi Arabia. The Government was determined to take all measures necessary to fulfil women’s rights and eliminate discrimination of women, in cooperation with all relevant international bodies, including the Committee.
Ana Peláez Narváez, Committee Chair, in her concluding remarks, said the dialogue had allowed the Committee to better understand the situation of women and girls in Saudi Arabia. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and encouraged it to take all necessary measures to better implement the Convention for the benefit of all women and girls in the country.
The delegation of Saudi Arabia consisted of representatives from the Human Rights Commission; Shura Council; Ministry of Justice; Council of Ministers’ Experts Authority; Ministry of Education; Public Prosecution; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development; Ministry of Information; Ministry of Interior; Ministry of Culture; Family Affairs Council; General Authority for Statistics; King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre; National Women's Observatory; Quality of Life Programme; Digital Transformation Programme Centre; Ministry of Economy and Planning; and the Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Saudi Arabia at the end of its eighty-ninth session on 25 October. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 10 October to consider the ninth periodic report of New Zealand (CEDAW/C/NZL/9).
Report
The Committee has before it the fifth periodic report of Saudi Arabia (CEDAW/C/SAU/5).
Presentation of Report
HALA MAZYAD ALTUWAIGRI, President of the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia and head of the delegation, said significant changes had been achieved in Saudi Arabia in the interest of women and girls over the reporting period. The empowerment of women was one of the goals of the National Transformation Programme, one of the programmes of the "Saudi Vision 2030", which implemented more than 150 reforms and policy measures. In the field of human rights, more than 50 legislative, institutional, judicial and procedural reforms and measures were devoted to women's rights and empowerment.
The report was prepared by the Standing Committee for the Preparation of Reports, which was established in January 2015; it was the national mechanism for the preparation of reports to treaty bodies and follow-up to the implementation of treaty body recommendations. It had found that most of the Committee’s previous recommendations had been implemented.
Many laws had been amended and issued to ensure gender equality and equal opportunities and promote women's empowerment, and to harmonise them with international standards. Among these was the amendment of the travel document system to ensure that women had access to travel documents and travel abroad on an equal basis with men. The civil status law was amended to allow women to obtain civil documents and to report marriages, divorces and deaths on an equal basis with men. The social insurance system was amended to achieve gender equality in the retirement age, which was now 60 years for both sexes.
The labour law was amended to ensure equality between women and men in job interviews, employment, wages, allowances, benefits and training. The protection from abuse law was amended to enhance the protection of victims of violence, provide them with assistance, and prosecute perpetrators, by doubling penalties in specific cases that required severe punishment. The personal status law strengthened the rights of women and girls by restricting the discretionary power of judges, as well as by setting a minimum age for marriage, giving women priority in the custody of their children, and prohibiting the banning of women from marrying those they consented to. In 2017, a Royal Order was also issued that removed the requirement for women to obtain a guardian's permission to obtain services or complete procedures in all aspects of life.
The National Policy to Encourage Equal Opportunities and Equal Treatment in Employment and Occupation was released in January 2023 to eliminate all discrimination in the field of work, enabling marginalised groups to enter the labour market. The Government had launched the "Qurra" programme to support childcare services for working women, the "Self-Employment Support" programme, which expanded opportunities to increase women's income according to their skills, and part-time and remote work programmes, which enabled women to achieve a balance between work and family.
As a result of these national efforts, the participation rate of women in the labour market until the end of the second quarter of 2024 was 35.4 per cent. The number of women in senior positions in government jobs in 2023 reached 27,942, an improvement of 38 per cent compared to 2019. The number of women in senior and middle positions in the private sector in 2023 increased by 282 per cent compared to 2019.
An initiative had been launched to empower women in the field of cybersecurity, which had resulted in an increase in women’s participation in communications and information technology jobs, from seven per cent in 2017 to 25 per cent in 2024. Around 250 women had been appointed to the judiciary in the Public Prosecution, and the number of female lawyers had reached 2,136. Women also actively participated in the security and military sectors alongside men, and had played a role in the evacuation of civilians of various nationalities during the Sudanese crisis in 2023.
In 1961, Saudi Arabia had only four female university students. Today, the number of girls graduating from universities almost exceeded the number of male graduates. There had been a significant increase in the enrolment rates of girls at various educational levels. More than 1,000 educational projects have been launched in various regions and governorates of the Kingdom, and places in kindergartens had been increased by 400,000.
The Government had provided a package of basic health services for women before and during pregnancy and after childbirth. Mobile clinics covered remote and rural areas, providing maternal care, mental health, and programmes to prevent chronic diseases. As a result of efforts in the field of health, the Kingdom ranked 44 out of 143 countries in the Global Women's Health Index.
Saudi Arabia worked in cooperation with friendly countries to promote and protect women's rights by highlighting Islamic values that enhanced the status of women in society and ensured their enjoyment of all their rights. The Kingdom would continue to fulfil its obligations under the Convention and endeavour to strengthen partnership and cooperation with international organizations and mechanisms concerned with human rights. It would continue reforms in the field of women's rights and empowerment to achieve the best possible results for women, within the framework of the “Saudi Vision 2030”.
Questions by a Committee Expert
NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Saudi Arabia, welcomed Saudi Arabia’s reforms to improve the situation of women, including reforms allowing women the right to a driver’s licence and passports. Reforms needed to be effectively implemented. There were challenges to fulfilling women’s rights, however, including related to the guardianship system, free speech, the protection of foreign workers, domestic violence and the death penalty.
The 1982 basic law did not include guarantees of non-discrimination and gender equality. Would this law be amended? It was welcome that the State party had a national human rights institute, but it was not in line with the Paris Principles. Would the State party make it fully independent?
There were barriers to access to justice for women, including due to the guardianship system. How many female judges were there in Saudi Arabia? What measures were in place to ensure women could benefit from legal services? Was there gender sensitive handling of cases? Did the country plan to amend the 2017 law on the financing of terrorism and the anti-cybercrime law to bring them in line with international standards? Could the State party provide data on the women subjected to the death penalty? Would the State party implement a moratorium on the death penalty?
How many complaints of discrimination against women had been received by the national human rights institute. Could women leave care centres without the permission of their guardians? Would the State party stop issuing the death penalty to women who acted in self-defence?
Another Committee Expert said that the State party’s reservation to the Convention was counter to article 27 of the Vienna Convention. Would the State party review this reservation?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that the basic law was based on transparency and justice and instilled the virtue of equality between men and women. The Convention was included in State legislation and relevant agencies had been tasked with implementing it. Discrimination against women was prohibited in law and in practice.
There were seven women judges, and the State party was encouraging women to become judges. Access to justice was ensured for women on an equal footing with men. Women were allowed to access the judicial system in marriage and divorce matters. Marriage documents were provided to both spouses. An application had been developed that allowed the Ministry of Justice to share documents and rulings on court cases with women living in rural areas, giving them access to justice.
The national human rights institute was independent in its activities and worked in step with the Paris Principles. It was not directly linked to the executive power. Its members were well-trained in human rights. It received complaints through a hotline, prepared annual reports on the situation of human rights in the country, and expressed opinions on draft and promulgated laws. The complaints it received were referred to competent authorities as required.
There were thousands of members of civil society advocating for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia in the press and through social media. Such practices were guaranteed so long as they did not threaten the security of society. Imprisoned persons had committed criminal acts under the Kingdom’s legislation, including inciting hatred.
Capital punishment was only imposed for the most serious crimes. Death penalties were required to be reviewed in appellate courts by 13 judges. The State party was developing databases on domestic workers to inform policies related to such workers. There were only two domestic workers on death row in 2023 and one in 2024. One of these women had killed a child by suffocation, another had killed another woman using acid, while a third had set fire to a man while he was sleeping.
Saudi Arabia had the right to express reservations to the international treaties to which it was a party. The reservation made at the time of ratification was precautionary but had not been an obstacle to the State’s fulfilment of its commitments under the Convention.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert said Saudi Arabia had taken positive steps for women, including by establishing the Council of Family Affairs and the Committee for Women under the Ministry of Resources, which all contributed to the empowerment of women. Did the Council have sufficient status and budget? What outcomes had been achieved by these bodies? The Government had included a budget for the empowerment of women within the national budget. What achievements had been made through this budget?
There had been reports of torture by authorities against women who protested the male guardianship system. These individuals were imprisoned for long periods and issued travel bans. Did the State party plan to lift travel bans and other laws inhibiting the activities of women activists?
Another Committee Expert welcomed initiatives for women within the Saudi Vision 2030. The increase in women’s participation in the labour force showed the State’s efforts to promote the economic empowerment of women. Did the State party plan to increase the representation of women within the Shura Council from the current 20 per cent? What quota was being debated? What steps had been taken to collaborate with civil society to implement temporary special measures to fulfil the rights of women? Did the Saudi Vison 2030 include plans to appoint female judges and lawyers? Did women have access to training that prepared them for high-level Government positions and positions in science and technology fields?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that the Council of Family Affairs was established in 2016. It was independent of the Government. The Committee on Women included specialists and experts. It revised policies and took initiatives to empower women in all sectors. The State party had developed a “Strategy of Women” which sought to provide economic opportunities and training to enhance women’s participation in information and communication fields and increase the work-life balance for women. The budget for the Council for 2023 was 49 million riyals, which guaranteed the sustainability of its programmes. The Ministry of Finance was working to establish a coding system to determine the overall budget allocated for women.
The Saudi Vision 2023 aimed to empower civil society, which effectively partnered with the Government. Civil society organizations received complaints of abuse from women and conducted awareness raising on the rights of women and the Convention. They had produced a shadow report to the Committee.
There was no restriction on the freedom of movement of women, except when they had violated the law. Restrictions aimed to ensure the security of society and prevent the repetition of crimes.
The national strategy for women aimed to increase opportunities for women in leadership positions. There were programmes in place to improve the quality of life of Saudi women in all facets of life. There were indicators in place on women’s representation in leadership positions in the 13 districts in the State. There had been an improvement in women’s representation in high-level Government positions by around 30 per cent between 2019 and 2023, and a three-fold increase in their representation in high-level positions in the private sector. The Government aimed to reach gender parity in the Shura Council.
Laws in the Kingdom underwent constant review, including laws on terrorism and capital punishment. Persons could not be punished for exercising their right to self-defence. The “Qurra” programme promoted childcare for working women. Over 117,000 women had benefitted from childcare programmes. The cost of transport had also been reduced for working women, and women’s choices for specialisation in university and vocational education had been expanded.
The Saudi Vision 2030 included numerous programmes that sought to improve access to services for women, increase women’s participation in the labour market, and strengthen the empowerment of women. In 2024, women’s participation in the labour market had increased to 37 per cent. The Government was also supporting women’s participation in sporting and cultural programmes.
Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked how the State party monitored and evaluated policies for women.
Another Committee Expert asked why the State party had many more female lawyers than judges. Were there plans to appoint more female judges?
NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Saudi Arabia, asked if there was a possibility to reopen cases of travel bans issued for women human rights defenders.
ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chair, asked about obstacles to introducing a moratorium on the death penalty.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Council of Family Affairs ensured that Government bodies were playing their roles regarding matters concerning families and women.
The right to go before the judicial system was guaranteed for all individuals. Legal aid was provided to individuals to appeal decisions such as travel bans. There were plans to support increased appointments of women judges and magistrates. The judiciary was completely independent and could not be interfered with. This ensured that trials were fair and that human rights were respected.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked if the State party would develop a national action plan on women, peace and security that called for women’s leadership in the field. The Committee acknowledged the State’s efforts to promote ceasefire talks between warring parties in Sudan. How many women had participated in these talks?
The State party continued to entrust the protection of women to male guardians. The guardianship system led to women being controlled by their guardians and being subjected to domestic violence. When women left home without permission, guardians could compel them to return through the courts. When would the Kingdom abolish male guardianship? Would it accord women with the same legal capacity as men? Would the State party ensure that the definition of rape in the upcoming Penal Code was based on affirmative consent, and that the Code addressed psychological violence?
Saudi women were subjected to various forms of digital violence. The potential weaponizing of the cybersecurity law could shrink the civil space for women human rights defenders. How would the State party address these issues?
One Committee Expert said Saudi Arabia had developed many measures to prevent trafficking in persons and support victims of trafficking. The Expert welcomed efforts to harmonise legislation on trafficking with international standards. However, domestic workers continued to lack sufficient legal protections, making them vulnerable to trafficking. The State’s anti-trafficking hotlines were available in only two languages, limiting access for migrants. Domestic workers also lacked labour law protections, leading to a high risk of forced labour. Did the State party plan to increase the number of shelters for victims of human trafficking? How did the State party ensure that all persons in migration shelters were assessed to determine if they were victims of trafficking, and how was it protecting domestic workers from trafficking and forced labour?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Saudi Arabia was implementing the Security Council resolution on women, peace and security. Women were engaging in conflict resolution efforts and humanitarian activities.
In 2017, a Royal Decree was adopted that stipulated that women did not need permission to obtain State services. This Decree made the guardianship system obsolete. Women no longer needed permission to receive State services, including police services. Women could marry a person of their choice. Husbands were not allowed to impose obedience on their wives; such actions were grounds for the dissolution of marriages. Decisions on guardianship considered the opinions of mothers and medical professionals.
The Kingdom had set up a national committee to combat trafficking in persons and a national action plan on combatting the phenomenon, and had established the crime of trafficking in persons. The national action plan enhanced measures to identify and protect victims and prosecute perpetrators. The State party was enhancing cooperation mechanisms with international organizations and civil society to combat the crime. It was working to ensure migrant workers were aware of their rights and complaints procedures. Around 141 persons had been convicted between 2020 and 2024 for trafficking, with sentences of up to 15 years imprisonment issued. All migrant workers had the right to keep their passports and they could not be ordered to work for more than 10 hours per day. In 2021, 76 victims of trafficking were identified, and 128 were identified in 2023. Victims of trafficking were given priority access to justice.
State legislation regulated the behaviour of people in cyberspace and protected children from online abuse. Last month, a national conference on the empowerment of women in cyberspace was held.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert commended Saudi Arabia for leading the implementation of the Security Council resolution on women, peace and security. What support would the State party give to women in developing countries to access digital technology? Remnants of the guardianship system still lingered in the Kingdom. How was the State party addressing these?
ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chair, said that male guardianship of minors and persons with disabilities continued. When would the State party abolish the guardianship system for women with disabilities?
One Committee Expert said that since 2016, Saudi Arabia had shown a great capacity to promote change for women, but violence and discrimination against women persisted. Implementation of the 2018 law on harassment was thus essential.
Another Committee Expert said that children born to Saudi women married to foreign men were not automatically granted Saudi nationality. Did the State party plan to amend nationality legislation in this regard? It was welcome that kindergarten education was free for foreign children; did they have access to higher education and free healthcare? How many children born to Saudi mothers and foreign fathers had been granted nationality in the past 12 months? Foreign mothers did not have the right to register the births of their children. Why was this? Saudi Arabia hosted a large population of Bedouins who were not eligible for Saudi citizenship. How was the State party strengthening protections for this population?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the State party had launched several initiatives to promote women’s empowerment in the digital environment. Forty thousand women had been trained in artificial intelligence and digital security.
There were numerous non-governmental organizations working to detect cases of trafficking and providing shelters for victims of trafficking.
Guardianship was only implemented for certain persons with disabilities who could not make autonomous decisions, not for all persons with disabilities.
Women were included in the Saudi team working to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan. A large percentage of the State’s diplomatic corps were women. There was no maximum representation of women in the Shura Council. The Government had taken measures to protect women refugees, providing them with shelter, and psychological and legal aid. The Government was addressing all forms of violence against refugee women and girls and helping them to integrate into their community. Around 292 projects had been developed for displaced persons around the world. Female aid workers were providing aid in disaster zones.
Saudi legislation ensured that foreign citizens could receive Saudi nationality if they fulfilled certain conditions, such as mastering Arabic, and forfeiting their original nationality. A decree was passed that granted the children of Saudi women married to foreigners with the same rights as Saudi children. Non-nationals could receive education in the State’s higher education facilities.
The State party and its national human rights institute had implemented awareness raising campaigns on domestic violence, as well as training programmes for civil servants and civil society on the Convention and on combatting gender-based violence and domestic violence.
Questions by Committee Experts
One Committee Expert congratulated Saudi Arabia on making education free and mandatory for children up to 15 years. It was commendable that 98 per cent of women had received an education. What temporary special measures had been put in place to ensure that girls had the same opportunities as boys to participate in sports and physical education? Women made up 69 per cent of students in higher education, but this did not translate to their employment. There was a disproportionate percentage of men in sectors such as engineering and construction. Why was this? How had temporary special measures been used to encourage women’s representation in the oil and gas sector? How many girls had pursued education outside of the country without the permission of guardians compared to boys? How many women held professorships in universities?
A Committee Expert asked about barriers that remained regarding women’s labour participation and how they were being addressed. How was the State party working to narrow the gender pay gap and encouraging women to pursue non-traditional career paths? How were the national policy on equality in work and anti-discrimination laws being enforced? How was the State party combatting workplace harassment against women?
Women had the right to maternity leave with full pay for up to 10 weeks. What challenges had the State party encountered in enforcing maternity leave, and were there plans to extend maternity leave to 14 weeks in line with international standards? What steps had been taken to establish labour inspections and complaints mechanisms for domestic workers? How did the State party ensure that domestic workers were not penalised when they reported abuse? Did the State party intend to ratify International Labour Organization Convention 189 on domestic workers?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Saudi Arabia was working to implement measures to ensure quality education for boys and girls. Forty per cent of scholarships were granted to girls to receive education in science and technology. Around 75 per cent of teachers were female.
The State party had prohibited discrimination and harassment in the public and private sector workplaces and implemented a code of workplace behaviour to prevent discrimination. Workers could submit complaints regarding wage discrepancies to the Government. Inspections were carried out to ensure that labour laws were being respected. Sanctions were issued to companies that discriminated against women in terms of wages.
Migrant workers could change jobs without requiring consent from their former employers; the State party had abolished the kafala system. National legislation on domestic work prohibited employing workers under 21 years of age, and forbade discrimination and breaches of the dignity of migrant workers. Abuse of domestic workers was a crime. A law had been implemented in 2024 to protect domestic workers from being penalised for reporting abuse. There were housing units that provided shelter, and psychological and medical support to migrant victims of abuse. Persons who came to these units were screened to ensure that they were not victims of trafficking.
Vocational training had been provided to 15,000 women, which had led to a 25 per cent increase in the number of women in the labour market. There was also a digital training programme in place, which around 1,000 women had benefited from. The State party had recently extended maternal leave to 12 weeks with full pay and four weeks with partial pay.
Questions by Committee Experts
One Committee Expert asked about the reasons for gaps in education and employment outcomes between boys and girls. Why did the oil and gas sector have the lowest inclusion rate of women of all sectors?
Another Committee Expert welcomed amendments to legislation to include “women’s health” as a public service and to make maternity healthcare free. Did the State party include a gender sensitive approach in mental health programmes? Did women still require guardians’ permission to access certain health services, such as reproductive health services? Did women have full autonomy in relation to their reproductive health rights?
Abortion was illegal in Saudi Arabia except in cases to save a woman’s life. Male guardians’ approval was necessary to receive abortions. Did the State party plan to increase the situations in which abortion was allowed, including in cases of rape, and to remove the requirement of permission from male guardians to receive abortions? Would it decriminalise abortion? There were reports that migrants found to have AIDS were immediately detained and deported. How did the State party ensure that migrant women, including women with AIDS, had access to health care?
A Committee Expert asked how the State party was combatting stereotypes related to women in the labour force. Over 3,000 women had received business licences over the reporting period. How did this compare to the number of licences issued to men? Were there microfinancing programmes in place for women-led small businesses? What reforms were being made to the social insurance scheme to benefit women, and what was the timeline for reforms? How was the State party encouraging women’s participation in sports?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Government provided comprehensive health care services to all citizens on an equal footing. Reproductive and maternal health services were available for women across the State. Around 88 per cent of women visited health care centres before childbirth. Permission was not required from legal guardians to receive health care services. Abortion could only take place for medical reasons and needed to take place before the 20th week of pregnancy.
The State party provided comprehensive health care and health care insurance to all residents, including non-nationals. Persons with HIV/AIDS were guaranteed the right to education, work and psychological counselling. Medical centres were required to provide services to persons with HIV/AIDS.
The State party’s social security system supported the cost of living. The State was supporting access to low-rate bank loans for women. Mortgage loans for women with favourable conditions were also being offered. There had been a large increase in beneficiaries of these loans over the past five years.
Saudi Arabia had six female ambassadors and 204 female diplomats who held key posts in the Foreign Ministry. The share of female diplomats had increased to over 30 per cent of the foreign service in 2024.
There were seven women presidents of sports federations, which had over 50,000 female members. The number of sport clubs for women had increased by 37 per cent from 2018 to 2024. Sports facilities had been constructed in 590 schools for boys and girls. Women were being encouraged to become physical education teachers.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked about the number of medical practitioners who had been punished for performing illegal abortions over the reporting period.
One Committee Expert welcomed legal reforms to eliminate barriers to education and employment for women with disabilities, and efforts to combat desertification and drought and support small-scale rural farmers. Far fewer women were employed in agriculture compared to men. How would the State party ensure women’s equal participation in agriculture and the blue economy, and boost women’s knowledge of agribusiness?
Female migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers continued to face arbitrary detention and other forms of abuse. How was the State party addressing this? Did it intend to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention?
The Committee welcomed the State party’s initiatives to combat climate change. Saudi Arabia regularly faced heatwaves and the adverse effects of climate change, which disproportionately affected marginalised women. How were these women involved in climate change mitigation strategies and decision making on risk management?
Another Committee Expert said that many public and private institutions continued to demand the permission of guardians without consequences. Did the State party plan to impose sanctions for such actions? Were there plans to provide training to officials on legislation on the provision of services? What were the exceptional cases in which child marriage was allowed? What awareness raising campaigns were in place regarding child marriage? Men received a higher portion of inheritance than women. Did the State party plan to amend legislation to provide women with equal access to inheritance?
Many husbands reportedly prevented their wives from participating in work or education. Muslim women could only marry Muslim men, but Muslim men could marry women of other faiths. Women did not have the right to unilaterally end a marriage. After divorces, the custody of children was automatically granted to women until the children reached age 15, but men retained guardianship of the children. What measures were in place to provide equal marriage and divorce rights to women?
A Committee Expert cited reports of Saudi women who sought asylum in other countries being intercepted by the Government. Could the State party comment on these reports?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said rural women helped Saudi Arabia to achieve sustainable development. The State party had implemented a programme that supported women farmers to access land and training without discrimination. In 2022, there were 57,000 beneficiaries of the programme, 63 per cent of whom were women.
The Kingdom provided humanitarian aid to refugees, helping them to access passports, health services, education, care and assistance. It also guaranteed their freedom of movement. The competent Saudi authorities were considering the possibility of ratifying the 1951 Refugee Convention. The State party had responded to the individual cases brought to it by United Nations bodies regarding asylum seekers through written responses published on a Government website.
Civil society organizations and the national human rights institute provided avenues for women to lodge complaints related to direct and indirect discrimination. Saudi Arabia planned to develop its statistics on women and had created the National Observatory on Women towards this aim.
Inheritance was regulated by the personal status law, which was based on the Islamic Sharia. There were more than 30 situations in which inheritance was equal for women and men. The Personal Status Code did not contain provisions that suppressed the rights of women. It promoted women’s rights and the best interests of the child
Concluding Remarks
HALA MAZYAD ALTUWAIGRI, President of the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia and head of the delegation, said the recommendations provided by the Committee would be heeded by Saudi Arabia and followed up on by the dedicated Standing Committee. The Government was determined to take all measures necessary to fulfil women’s rights and eliminate discrimination of women, in cooperation with all relevant international bodies, including the Committee.
ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chair, said the dialogue had allowed the Committee to better understand the situation of women and girls in Saudi Arabia. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and encouraged it to take all necessary measures to better implement the Convention for the benefit of all women and girls in the country. The Committee would select measures for immediate follow-up and called on the State party to report on the implementation of these measures within the required period.
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