Women in Saudi Arabia will not need a male guardian's approval to run or vote in municipal elections in 2015, when women will also run for office for the first time, a Saudi official has said. The change signifies a step forward in easing laws for women. Shoura Council member Fahd Al-Azi was quoted in Al-Watan newspaper on Wednesday saying that approval for women to run and vote came from the King, and therefore women will not need a male guardian's approval. Hatoun Al-Fasi, a women's history professor in Riyadh, said just the announcement that Saudi women can run for office and vote without permission will stir debate. “It's being brought up out of the blue and could open doors to discussions that we have enough of already,” Al-Fasi said. Saudi women cannot study abroad unless a male guardian approves and accompanies them throughout their studies. Government-run hospitals are allowed to perform surgery on women only with approval from a male guardian, except in emergencies. Male guardians in Saudi Arabia are allowed to remove their daughters or sisters from school at any time. In the case that a father, uncle or brother is not available, mothers turn to their sons for approval to work or travel. “Male guardianship laws are a problem that the Saudi woman has been dealing with for years. It's our number one demand that these laws be revoked,” Al-Fasi said. “It goes against the social rights that Islam gives women.”
