Saudi women in a monogamous marriage are not allowed to issue a family ID. Civil Status Department official spokesman Mohammad Al-Jasser said family ID cards are given to divorcees, widows and women in polygamous marriages. "Applicants only have to present the original copy of the birth certificates of their children and themselves, two photos of the applicant and original copies or copies of documents proving that the children are under her custody," said Al-Jasser. He said the applicants must all be Saudi women and for women in polygamous marriages, their husbands must also be Saudis. "In case of a woman who has been divorced several times and has children from more than one marriage, all the children will be listed in one family ID with their full family names documenting who their father is," said Al-Jasser. A woman said the Civil Status Department was crowded with women who wanted to get as many rights as they can. "We were told to register online to book an appointment. We did exactly that and we showed up to be surprised that not all women will get a family ID. The new service is only available to divorcees, widows and women in a polygamous marriage," she said. She also said all women deserve to have a family ID without any condition. Umm Talal said the condition of a polygamous marriage is unnecessary. "This will lead many women to apply just to check if their husbands have married other women without them knowing. Most married women will then apply and it will cause chaos. The Civil Status should just enable all women to have family IDs," said Umm Talal. Amal Al-Harbi said although the requirements and procedures were very clear, the department did not take into account some special cases. "I had divorced my first husband and I am now married again to another one. I have children from both marriages. I asked them what is the verdict in my case but they could not give me any information. They told me they don't know what to do in my case as it does not fit the cases announced," said Al-Harbi. She said the department said it will ask the administration what to do and that she should come back in a month for a reply. "Don't I deserve a family ID to protect my rights as a mother to my children. Why should the mother have less rights over the custody of her children than the father?" said Al-Harbi. Umm Abdulrahman also said the new decision will empower women and encourage them to make better choices freely. "There are many women that are stuck in a marriage unable to get a divorce because they do not want to lose custody over their children. The new decision guarantees such mothers that their marital decision will not affect their rights as mothers," said Umm Abdulrahman. She said the speed of the process will give security to many women and ensure them that the rights of their children are protected.
