In previous articles, I have focused on issues related to the oppressive treatment of divorced women in Saudi Arabia. In this article, I would like to talk about the problems involved in women traveling. When Saudi women do not have the right to travel abroad with their children, it is not surprising to find that many of these women become depressed. Furthermore, the fact that the father of the children must authorize their travel abroad means that a divorced woman is likely to be abused by her ex-husband.
Despite full custody of the children being granted to the mother, in reality children remain under the custody of their father who is able to control their future whenever he wishes to do so.
Life today requires travel to other countries for studies, medical treatment, holidays, etc. Some women who study abroad and get divorced there have children who are enrolled in schools abroad. If these women decide to discontinue their studies and bring their children back to the Kingdom, they will subject their children to their father's control. The father can use his guardianship as a weapon against his divorced wife and children and prevent the children from returning abroad with their mother. Fathers often do this to force their divorced wives to discontinue their studies and to destroy their future.
There are many stories like these. I know of some young girls who were not permitted to travel with their mother who was a divorcee because their father would not let them. This was despite the fact that the girls were smart and had secured scholarships to study abroad. Most fathers abuse the right given to them by law and tend to use it against their divorced wives.
Another form of sexual discrimination is when the law does not accept a mother's application to travel with her daughters abroad and act as their guardian. This type of discrimination only serves to make women distrust society more because they feel that they are being treated as minors.
Divorced mothers are also not allowed to act as guardians for their sons or daughters and take them with them abroad for medical treatment or to visit family members. They are forced to leave them behind in the custody of relatives and travel alone.
It appears that divorced women are dominated by their divorced husbands whose actions are supported by some of our laws. A father seems to have responsibility for his children as if he was the one who gave birth to them and not the mother.
We need to review our laws and regulations to ensure that women are not harmed. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: “No mother should be harmed through her child, and no father through his child.” (2:233) Our laws and regulations should translate this verse into reality and apply it in the above situations. We need to review housing, alimony, guardianship and custody laws in order to empower women and hold accountable any man who tries to prevent his divorced wife from leading a prosperous life.
