Effect of Fundamental religious beliefs on Saudi Women

Saudi is one of the countries performing poorly when it comes to addressing issues of gender inequality. They have laws that forbid women from driving or even walking around without their male guardian. Some have attributed these vices to the Islamic religion as a primary determinant of this oppression. However, this has not always been the case. The religion has nothing to do with the oppression but everything to do with the people that interpret it. For instance, in the nomadic tribes around the peninsula consider the separation of women and men Central (Bryan 2012). In this region, women rights are somewhat suppressed because they operate under one notion that if it is not included in the Quran then it is forbidden.

The Quran has little to say about the rights of women that’s why they is still some form of oppression. The traditional views have been passed on to the rulers who have played a huge role in reducing women rights. Women in the past were forbidden from voting in elections. Furthermore, women are not included in matters of politics and governance. Women possess unique talents that could increase competition, civic development and help foster democratic institution (Zehavit, 341). As a result, the country’s economic growth would grow at a double rate than what it is now. If more women were included in leadership, there would be radical strides to ensure that the country experiences a more democratic approach to issues.

The argument does not always point to religion. With reduced influence, women become unable to fight for their rights or even give their contributions to society. They are reduced to mere objects. Despite the negative backlash that the world has given to Saudi in their role in gender inequality, a lot of positive strides have been made. For instance, in the past, women were not allowed to vote or participate in an election. However, in 2011, King Abdullah let accepted women to be allowed to vote in their 2015 elections (Rajkhan, 15). By having this approach of attacking their religion, the women whose rights are being fought for feel disrespected and take a step back. Therefore, in order to help fight for women’s right, the world needs to learn to respect their religion.

In order for gender inequalities issues to be addressed, a variety of factors have to be considered. First and foremost, gender activists should be able to come up with a way to use religion to factor in women empowerment. For instance, they can use the fact that Mohammed’s first wife was a businesswomen who had employed her husband, as a way of encouraging women to actively pursue a career (Zehavit, 341). Several strides have been made to ensure that the women rights are being taken into consideration with leaders given them a stride. A lot needs to be done and it can only be done when the world and Islam countries work together in agreement. Works Cited Desiree, Bryan. Women in the Arab world: A case of Religion or Culture.