"This is a new step towards emancipation," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said on Twitter on Wednesday (October 9th). Saudi women will now be able to join the armed forces of the ultraconservative kingdom, which has embarked on a vast program of economic and social reforms. They will only be able to join the ranks of a first-class soldier, corporal, sergeant and sergeant-in-chief, in the country that applies a rigorous version of Islam.
Suppression of activists
Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, several reforms to grant rights to women have been initiated in recent years, such as permission to drive or travel abroad without the prior consent of their "guardian" ( father, husband, son or other male parent). Saudi Arabia had already authorized women to join security forces last year.
During the same period, a wave of repression targeted several human rights activists. Some of them remain detained, like the famous activist Loujain al-Hathloul.
To see: "My sister, the Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul, was tortured in prison"
Since the fall of the last five years oil prices, Saudi Arabia, the largest exporter of crude oil, is trying to improve its image abroad to attract investors and tourists.
With AFP