Saudi Women's Attitudes Toward Advocacy for Women's Rights

Abstract

There is a growing women's rights advocacy movement in Saudi Arabia—much of which explicitly targets the male guardianship system. In this system, Saudi women are restricted by the male-dominated culture and face obstacles that hold them accountable to their male guardians. Recent changes in this system have become crucially important to women's lives, but still, leave women lacking full freedom. This exploratory study provides a thematic analysis of 16 Saudi women's advocacy perspectives by focusing on the deeper meanings of their expressed attitudes toward the male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia. Analysis revealed conflicting attitudes toward women's advocacy for women's rights. Women who were hurt by the system raised concerns about being labeled as advocates. They feared being socially judged and having their families shamed for advocating against social norms and principles of Islam. These concerns led them to use fake social media accounts to support advocates. Those who supported the male guardianship system expressed their worries about the next generation being influenced by outside ideologies and abandoning their Islamic values. This paper concludes with recommendations for future social work practice and scholarship.