Saudi women over-21 will finally be allowed to travel abroad without a male guardian

Saudi Arabia is set to allow women aged over-21 to leave the kingdom without a male guardian, according to local media on Thursday.

 
Saudi's official gazette said that authorities had approved changes to laws governing travel, with women aged over-21 now allowed to obtain passports and travel abroad without the permission of a male guardian.

The adjustment will see changes to the language of the law that dictates a woman's residence is with her husband, Okaz reported.

It will also allow women to register their own marriages, divorces and births of children, which was previously solely the man's domain.

Saudi's official gazette tweeted on Thursday that the ammendments would be contained in its next edition, Bloomberg reported.

Comment: As news comes of Saudi Arabia abolishing requirements for women to obtain permission from male guardians to obtain a passport and travel, it's important to remember this is a victory for women's struggle, not a gift bestowed by the Saudi regimehttps://t.co/gL6dr0G3Xb — The New Arab (@The_NewArab) August 1, 2019 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post Comment: As news comes of Saudi Arabia abolishing requirements for women to obtain permission from male guardians to obtain a passport and travel, it's important to remember this is a victory for women's struggle, not a gift bestowed by the Saudi regimehttps://t.co/gL6dr0G3Xb — The New Arab (@The_NewArab) August 1, 2019 ">

It follows a number of high-profile cases of Saudi women fleeing the kingdom and citing asylum abroad, citing domestic or human rights abuses.

These cases have been in stark contrast to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's efforts to be seen as a reformer, after ending a ban on driving for women and lifting other restrictions on public life.

A number of activists, including women's rights campaigners such as Loujain al-Hathloul, have been jailed and even risk execution following the crown prince's purges.

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was also murdered at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in October, reportedly on the orders of Prince Mohammed, according to US and Turkish spy agencies.