Adel Abdulrahman Okaz/Saudi Gazette Female participants in a women's seminar held at Okaz Organization headquarters agreed on the importance of increasing awareness among women about their rights and their role in carrying out their duties within the sphere of Shariah. The seminar, in which a number of female academics, social activists and lawyers participated, also addressed many of the daily problems women face in the Kingdom. Female speakers criticized both men and women; the former for misusing the guardianship law to control women and the latter for submitting to the demands of men. The seminar also dealt with the obstacles facing women in courts. They said more laws were needed to help women defend their rights and called for setting up additional women's departments that can help them prepare for court dates. Social activist Nujood Adawi said most women are unaware of their rights and duties, and as a result, are not able to defend themselves in court. Adawi said if every woman possessed a book on alimony and custody rights, Saudi women would have made big strides in understanding many legal requirements, information and laws. “Women lack a fundamental understanding of many of the legal procedures in the Kingdom. In the case of annulment of the marriage contract (faskh) or getting a divorce through the court judge (khula) she must understand that the case might be that of faskh and not khula. The powers granted to women are limited. She has to return to the male administration so a final decision can be issued on the matter even if it is a simple one,” she said. Adawi disclosed that every court in the country will soon have a department with female employees in which there will be consultant psychologists, legal consultants, Shariah experts and sociologists that women can consult. Psychologist and family consultant Nawal Othman Al-Zahrani said the Kingdom's Islamic values, traditions and the authorities have protected women's rights. They have also urged people to be kind to women but the problem lies in the method in which verdicts are issued. “I believe that the shortcoming is in women themselves. They need greater awareness because if women are not adamant and remain silent about their rights, their suffering will only increase. There needs to be greater awareness and comprehension of basic laws on the part of women who need to be stronger in their thinking. They should not imitate Western women,” she said. Nawal Bazar'ah, a training consultant, agreed with Al-Zahrani and said the Shariah has granted women full rights, but the authority that carries out court verdicts sometimes poses an obstacle for women. “This is aside from the family burdens and responsibilities that might prevent women from demanding their rights. An example is children's objection to their mother filing a lawsuit against their father in the courts. Therefore, women must have greater awareness of their rights. They should not concede their rights no matter what,” she said. Bazar'ah added: “We are not demanding excessive freedom nor are we hankering for matters like women being allowed to drive. We only demand our rights guaranteed by the Shariah. These rights are there and they should be implemented, but there is a problem in implementation. When a woman goes to court she needs to be granted her full rights.” Meanwhile, Saleha Al-Ghamdi, a media studies graduate from King Abdulaziz University, said women play an important role and there is no so-called marginalization. “There are many decisions granting women their rights and they have a priority. Women must understand the Shariah and its meanings. They must carry out their duties before demanding their rights. It is true that we are suffering from a problem. There are no special courts for women. We have heard earlier about the formation of special courts. These courts will play an important role in helping women and men who are seeking justice. The special courts will solve many of the problems and matters will be flexible and clear if these courts get established,” she said. Female education and family consultant Aisha Adel accused women who call on others to not keep silent about their rights of encouraging rebellion against local customs and traditions. “Such calls have forced men to limit women's legal rights and some even resort to verbal and physical violence against women. The themes women spoke on have caused many family breakups,” she said. Bayan Zahran, a female lawyer and legal consultant, said the right to an education and the concept of guardianship among men were the main reasons for tensions in many households. “Men consider guardianship to be a tool to control and hold influence over women. Men grow up without realizing that the meaning of guardianship is care. It is an assignment and not a privilege. As a result, problems occur. In many executive authorities, men dominate and women are not there in large numbers. Therefore, the services provided to women are by men. From this standpoint, women ought to be present in the judges' offices. Also, there should be a department for guidance of all kinds. It is true that there are women working in the courts, but there is no guidance or a guidebook explaining to women what they should do when they arrive in courts. Women are unaware of their rights because most are raised in an environment that prevents them from even speaking of demanding their rights.”
