Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

civil rights and
attend colleges and universities in large numbers. Mainly this is
due to the fact that women obtained the right to vote in 1953,
although voting rights have not led to female participation in
government and public life. Approximately three percent of
parliament members are female; thus men continue to make decisions
that affect women.
    There are many distinctions evident according
to women of different religious sects. Lebanon is one of the most
diverse countries in the world with nearly 20 different religious
sects. Christian girls can be seen sunbathing in bikinis on the
beaches of Jounieh, while Muslim girls are sedately covered in
Hijab. Therefore, the issue of women’s rights is complicated as
there are different goals for different religious sects, making it
almost impossible to create one law for all when it comes to
women’s rights. Still, women are gaining ground with over 50
percent of college graduates female while 27 percent of the
workforce is female.
    Women in Qatar have made many remarkable
advances, mainly due to the royal family of Qatar who established
various women’s committees charged with proposing programs to
upgrade the potential of women. Women in Qatar are allowed to vote
and even run as government candidates. Women have even held
positions in the cabinet. There are more female students at
university than male students and women hold 52% of the jobs in the
Ministry of Education. Women even outnumber men in the healthcare
field. Of course, the society itself is very conservative, but the
government is working to ensure that women are encouraged to pursue
their personal goals.
    Over the past few years women’s lives have
greatly changed in the United Arab Emirates, as the ruling family
has made women’s rights a priority. The UAE constitution guarantees
equality between men and women. The numbers prove that great
strides have been made for women as female graduates outnumber men
two to one at the United Arab Emirates University. Although women
were only 6 percent of the work force in 1988, those numbers are
increasing. Most notably, the UAE ranked 29 th among 177
countries when it comes to gender empowerment. While there is no
guarantee that women have equal rights in their homes, the
government is working to elevate the status of women.
    Tragically, the women of Yemen face violence
and discrimination in their lives. Women are not free to choose
their husbands, and in many cases, girls as young as eight years
old are married against their will. Once a woman is married, she
has no rights, but must obey her husband and ask his permission for
everything—even in matters as harmless and simple as leaving her
house.. When women testify in court, their testimony is valued half
that of a male. If a woman is married, her value is compensated
half that of a male. Honor killings hang like a sword over the head
of a woman if there is gossip about her behavior. While men are
treated leniently, women will be put to death if there is an
accusation of any “immoral” act. The government has made some small
moves to improve the status of women, such as creating a ministry
of human rights. But reforms for women in Yemen are still urgently
needed.
    As far as Saudi Arabia, I am pleased to
report that in the years since I first met Princess Sultana, and I
lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a few things have changed. The
current king, Abdullah, is a man of common sense who is using his
position of authority to help. Princess Sultana also tells me that
two of her cousins, King Abdullah’s daughters, encourage their
father to pursue this important course, which has opened the way
for more Saudi women to seek recourse when treated harshly.
    But while I’ve been impressed with King
Abdullah and his belief in change for Saudi women,
ultra-conservative forces are still influential in the kingdom,
insisting on the heavy restrictions of old. Although the Koran
calls only for modesty in dress, many Saudi women are still
veiling. And though there is no precedent in the Islamic faith for
a law forbidding women to drive, Saudi women are bound by such a
law. Even more puzzling, 58% of Saudi college graduates are female,
but since they are not allowed to work or mingle with men not of
their family, only 5% of the workforce is comprised of women. And
while Islam gives females the right to refuse an unwanted marriage,
many young girls in Saudi Arabia still endure the horror of
arranged marriages with men