Saudi removes restriction on women to travel abroad alone

With a royal order, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has removed its generations-old restriction on its women citizens to travel abroad without the permission of their male guardians.

The order is the latest of Saudi de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s attempt to liberalise the conservative nation.

Since the induction of the prince as the crown prince of the kingdom, several social restrictions on women have been removed. The significant among them is the removal of the restriction on women to drive their cars in the country.

In the recent past, several Saudi women tried to escape from the country, citing the restrictions imposed on them in their home land. Even some succeeded in their attempt.

The latest order is considered as an attempt to ease the situation. It does not mean that the country takes a lenient stand on women’s right activism.

Recently, several women’s right activists were booked. The country, in the recent past, has mercilessly suppressed many programs organised in the name of women’s right activism.

Many women activists allege that they are treated as second class citizens in the country. The kingdom has to make many changes to solve the problem. The change should happen not only from the top but also from the bottom.

The kingdom is under severe pressure from the west to liberalise its laws. Many consider the present developments as the after-effects of this pressure.

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