A petition signed by more than 14,000 Saudi women calling for an end to the country’s male guardianship system is being handed to the government.
Women must have the consent of a male guardian to travel abroad, and often need permission to work or study.
Support for the first large-scale campaign on the issue grew online in response to a trending Twitter hashtag.
Activist Aziza Al-Yousef told the BBC she felt “very proud” of the campaign, but now needed a response.
The women counted on the petition all gave their full names, though more signed anonymously. Hundreds of women – one estimate suggests as many as 2,500 – bombarded the Saudi King’s office over the weekend with telegrams containing personal messages backing the campaign.
Ms Yousef, who was stopped by police in 2013 for breaking the country’s ban on women driving, said she did not expect any negative consequences from the petition: “I’m not worried, I’m not doing anything wrong,” she said.
She and another activist took the petition to the Royal Court in person on Monday, but were advised to send it by mail.
“In every aspect, the important issue is to treat a woman as a full citizen,” she said.
She and other activists first raised the issue five years ago. “We never had a problem with campaigning, but the problem is there is no answer. But we always hope – without hope, you cannot work,” she said.
There has been no official response to the petition yet.
You can view the full article here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37469860
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