DEC 14 SAUDI ARABIA GIVES WOMEN MORE RIGHTS

DEC 14  SAUDI ARABIA GIVES WOMEN MORE RIGHTS

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lifted another restriction regarding women's rights. On Monday, a press secretary for Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman announced that Saudi restaurants will no longer be required to have separate entrances for men and women. Instead of the government mandating the policy, gender separation will be up to the businesses themselves. It's big news: Now families and couples can sit at the same table when they go out to eat.

The move is one of many sweeping reforms instituted by the rigid Middle Eastern nation. Although King Salman al Saud is still on the throne, the 84 year-old monarch is too old to rule. Hence, he named his first-born son with his third wife as regent in 2017. Since then, the 34 year-old Mohammad bin Salman has instituted numerous social reforms in the ridiculously conservative country.

Last year, the Crown Prince received praise when he lifted the ban on women driving cars. Mohammad bin Salman surely must have read the DUNER BLOG on the issue and acted accordingly. In the year since, driving schools have been busy: Over 30,000 women have passed the test and are on the road. Also important: The Prince pardoned the women activists who were arrested for driving cars in protest.

In his two years as regent, Crown Prince Mohammad has instituted a flurry of social reforms. It's clear: he is trying to put men and women on more equal footing. In July, he lifted a much criticized ban as well. Saudi Women can now travel abroad without permission from their male guardian. Any woman over 21 can receive a passport. Likewise, women can now register themselves for marriage and divorce on their own.

We here at the DUNER BLOG cheer Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman for reading our blog and reforming his outrageously conservative country. But let's not forget: He still has a long road ahead of him. On the UN's Gender Inequity Index, Saudi Arabia remains in the bottom ten. Women can drive a car, but they can't live alone nor can they open a bank account. Let's hope the new Crown Prince is an enlightened despot with good in his heart...and not just a worried monarch trying to grab some positive press after the shameful Khashoggi murder.