Divorced mothers in Saudi Arabia win the right to retain custody of their children in latest ‘liberal’ reform
By Julian
Robinson, Daily Mail, 13 March 2018
Strict
Saudi rules have previously favoured male guardianship after a divorce. But
divorced mothers in the kingdom can now retain custody of their children. They now
only need to apply for custody provided there is no parental dispute. Move is
part of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's social reforms
Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful heir to the Saudi throne, has pledged
a 'moderate, open' country and is rolling out a number of social reforms.
The
latest move has seen a relaxing of strict rules that heavily favour male
guardianship in the event of divorce.
In the
past, Saudi women were forced to launch lengthy court battles to win custody
after a marriage breakdown. But the Saudi Justice Ministry has now told
courts that, provided there is no dispute between parents, a mother is only
required to apply for custodianship.
Divorced mothers in Saudi Arabia have won the right to retain custody of their children in the kingdom's latest 'liberal' reform. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (pictured), the powerful heir to the Saudi throne, has pledged a 'moderate, open' country |
Prince
Mohammed has been leading the drive to expand the role of women in recent
months.
His
father, King Salman, in September approved the end of a decades-long ban on
driving, which goes into effect in June.
The
32-year-old prince called for a 'moderate, open' Saudi Arabia in October,
breaking with ultra-conservative clerics in favour of an image catering to
foreign investors and Saudi youth.
Prince
Mohammed is widely seen as the chief architect behind Saudi Arabia's 'Vision
2030' reform programme, which seeks to elevate the percentage of women in the
work force from 22 percent to nearly one-third.
In the past, Saudi women were forced to launch lengthy court battles to win custody after a marriage breakdown. But the Saudi Justice Ministry has now told courts that, if there is no dispute between parents, a mother is only required to apply for custodianship (file image) |
In
February, it emerged that women in Saudi Arabia were now allowed to open their
own businesses without the consent of a husband or male relative.
The
policy change marked a major step away from the strict guardianship system that
has ruled the country for decades.
Under
Saudi Arabia's guardianship system, women are required to present proof of
permission from a male 'guardian' - normally the husband, father or brother -
to do any government paperwork, travel or enrol in classes.
Long
dependent on crude production for economic revenue, Saudi Arabia is pushing to
expand the country's private sector, including an expansion of female
employment under a reform plan for a post-oil era.
While
women still face a host of restrictions in the ultraconservative Muslim
kingdom, Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor's office this month said it would
begin recruiting women investigators for the first time.
The
kingdom has also opened 140 positions for women at airports and border
crossings, a historic first that the government said drew 107,000 female
applicants.