An increasing number of young Saudi women are studying law at university. I do not know the reason for this. Perhaps it is because their mothers lived their lives unaware of their rights. Maybe it is the case that these young women want to prove that they are aware of their rights as women and that there is no difference between them and women in nearby countries who fight for their rights. Whatever the reason, it is a step in the right direction and sends a message, loud and clear, that the time of ignorance is behind us. When I meet women in social gatherings or during campaigns I organize on campuses or even those I interact with on social media, I find women who want to know how to file lawsuits against their husbands who abuse their children. Women sometimes ask me about the legal procedures for filing divorce, annulling marriage or seeking "khula". Others ask what they can do to end their guardians' control over them or how to report their husbands for blackmail. Some members of the public consider these women to be rebellious while others praise the high level of their awareness of women's rights. However, some are afraid that women will not tolerate their abusive husbands and will begin to look for ways out of marriage and even go to court and file for divorce. We have to remember that the first judge in Islam was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Women used to go to him and complain about their husbands. There is nothing rebellious about a woman who demands her rights. Women are human beings who have the right to decide how to live their lives and demand their rights. After all, Islam safeguards women's rights. Women should know one thing for sure: educated and God-fearing men will champion and protect women's rights.
