There's still a long way to go for women's rights in Saudi Arabia, but the country recently made a small step in the right direction: women now have the right to join the country's armed forces, from which they were excluded until now.
Discover our latest podcast
The Saudi Foreign Ministry boasted this decision, which is part of a program for economic and social reforms. A message was posted on the institution's Twitter account, celebrating "a new step towards emancipation."
Women can now enlist in the army, the air force, the navy, and the medical corps, as well as the air defence forces. It's worth noting, however, that they do not have access to the highest ranks and can only claim the following statuses: first-class soldier, corporal, sergeant, and staff sergeant.
Last year, Saudi Arabia had already given women access to positions in the security forces.
An extremely conservative country
For several years now, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been taking a more "progressive" approach in an effort to attract tourism and investment. Recently, women were granted the right to drive a car and to travel alone, without a man's supervision.
Nevertheless, this Middle Eastern country, which is home to Islam's holy sites, has an extremely conservative approach to Islam. Women must be fully veiled, and men and women are separated in public spaces. Human rights organizations regularly report abuse committed in the kingdom, where political opponents and conscientious objectors are imprisoned and sometimes subject to corporal punishment, which is permitted by law.
