A petition signed by 25 female Saudi activists was delivered early March to the 150-member Saudi Shura Council, a formal advisory body to the monarchy, calling for the end of “absolute male guardianship” of women and demanding “serious measures to protect women’s rights and stop domestic violence.”

Nine million Saudi women, regardless of economic and social status, are prohibited from studying, traveling, working, accessing governmental institutions, undergoing medical treatment or surgical procedures including childbirth, without the consent of their male guardians.

Currently all nine million Saudi women, regardless of economic and social status, are prohibited from studying, traveling, working, accessing governmental institutions, undergoing medical treatment or surgical procedures including childbirth, without the consent of their male guardians.

According to a number of activists, these restrictions on freedom of movement and access to basic human rights as a result of such rigorously imposed rules have led to the death of a number of Saudi women, which could have otherwise been avoided.

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