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Despite the fact that women-empowerment movement has been succeeding in Saudi Arabia in the past few years, Saudi women still suffer from social pressures about the traditional concept of marriage. Since I am studying abroad, I have lesser chances of meeting my future mysterious husband as I have other priorities than marriage. Yet my society cannot excuse me for this crime. When I come back and start socializing with my community or family members, I expect to start hearing the same comments as I used to hear — “Poor you. You did not get married until now.” Or “when are you getting married? You are old enough. You know if you don't get married now, you can't have children later.” My most likely answer to these comments would be: I will go and buy a husband from the supermarket. I know it is not a polite answer, but those people do not know anything about me or my life and I, they don't realize how Saudi spinsters feel when they hear such comments. Most of the Saudi spinsters these days are desperate to marry and some of them are trying to escape from the social pressures toward marriage through several actions like getting into forbidden relations or having plastic surgery to make them look young and get an inner satisfaction. Other spinsters may abandon their traditional values just to get a husband. For years many writers discussed this issue in the print media or online; unfortunately, many members of the Saudi society are not ceasing their pressure on women. Yet, they recognize that the number of spinsters in the Kingdom has reached nearly 1.5 million in 2010 and this could soar to more than four million in the current years, according to a local social study published in Saudi newspapers. To wrap it up, marriage is important but our women's mental health is more important and should take precedence over social pressures about marriage that could make them live miserable lives. Society and family should help in giving women the courage to live without being bothered by the traditional attitude of exploring for a husband and let them live with inner peace and dignity until they find the right man to marry or choose not to marry at all.
