In Saudi Arabia, women can now obtain a passport without a male guardian

Saudi women will be allowed to obtain a passport and travel abroad without the prior consent of a male « guardian », the government announced Thursday in Riyadh.

« A passport will be issued to any Saudi national who requests it, » said the government daily Umm Al Qura, citing a decision by the executive.

According to the nearby newspaper of the Okaz government and other media citing the authorities, this new rule will apply to women aged 21 or over.

Until now, women in Saudi Arabia have had to obtain permission from one of their « guardians » – husband, father or other male relative – to marry, renew their passports or leave the country.

This system, which amounts to equating Saudi women with minors all their lives, has been denounced for decades by women’s rights organizations.