Why a Saudi woman can be arrested for disobeying her father

8 January 2019

Saudi Arabia drew international plaudits last year when it lifted a longstanding ban on women driving.

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But activists said the biggest impediment to women's rights remained in effect.

Under what is known as the "male guardianship system", a woman's father, brother, husband or son has the authority to make critical decisions on her behalf.

She is required to obtain her their approval to apply for a passport, travel outside the country, study abroad on a government scholarship, get married, leave prison, or even exit a shelter for abuse victims.

"This is something that affects every Saudi woman and girl, from birth to death. They are essentially treated like minors," the Egyptian-American journalist Mona Eltahawy told the BBC.

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