In February 2018 – Musawah submitted a Thematic Report on Saudi Arabia to the CEDAW Committee for review at its 69th Session in Geneva, Switzerland. This report examines Saudi Arabia’s legal frameworks and practices that enforce de jure and de facto discrimination against women in the following areas: the male guardianship framework; reciprocity of rights in marriage; women’s consent and capacity to enter marriage; child and forced marriage; divorce rights; polygamy; custody and guardianship of children; violence against women; and nationality. The report incorporates substantive inputs by Saudi women’s rights activists and lawyers, who provided information and insights on the contemporary lived realities of Saudi women.
This is the Oral Statement on Saudi Arabia delivered to the 69th Session of the CEDAW Committee.