Aiban, President of the Human Rights Commission (HRC), said that society must facilitate procedures to enable women to get their rights in accordance with Islamic Shariah. Addressing a press conference on the occasion of International Women's Day, he said that the simplification of procedures would enable divorced women and widows to obtain their rights and all necessary official documents as quickly as possible. He pointed out that the delay in such procedures always has a negative effect on families and children. Al-Aiban also stressed the importance of allowing women to run their own affairs and of securing more job opportunities for them. He said that women had made a great success in the practical and scientific fields and that the Cabinet's Decision No. 120 referred to the creation of more job opportunities for Saudi women. He commended the progress made in the area of the judiciary especially in permitting Saudi women lawyers to appear in courts to represent women clients in marriage and family disputes. “The involvement of Saudi women in the advocacy field is a distinctive step that should be supported by all segments of society, especially if we take into account the pivotal role being played by women in the country's development process,” Al-Aiban said. He also referred to the unprecedented advances made by Saudi women in their participation in National Dialogue; the decision made to increase the number of freelance advisers in the Shoura Council from six to 12; and the prestigious positions Saudi women currently occupy in ministries and government agencies. Al-Aiban also highlighted the independence which Saudi women enjoy as per the rules of the Islamic Shariah which call for preserving the honor and dignity of every single individual in society. He pointed out that this is clearly defined in Article 26 of the Basic Governance System.
