Saudi Rights: Crown Prince and Adult Women

saudi rights: The kingdom's legal system has long been criticized because it treated adult women as minors, requiring they have a man's consent to obtain a passport or travel abroad, according to CTV. Often a woman's male guardian is her father or husband, and in some cases a woman's son. The new laws, a potential game-changer for Saudi women's rights, are to go into effect by the end of the month. The changes were widely celebrated by Saudis on Twitter, with many posting memes showing people dashing to the airport with luggage and others hailing the 33-year-old crown prince believed to be the force behind these moves. Other changes issued in the decrees allow women to register a marriage, divorce or a child's birth, and obtain official family documents, which could ease hurdles women faced in obtaining a national identity card and enrolling their children in school. But the changes also drew backlash from conservatives, who posted clips of senior Saudi clerics in past years arguing in favour of guardianship laws. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.