Women Given More Rights in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a very conservative country, with strict restrictions regarding women and gender relationships.

In the last several years, however, things have been changing in the Middle Eastern power.

In December 2019, the Saudi government decided to officially end gender segregation in restaurants.

Effective immediately, restaurants would no longer be required by law to maintain separate areas for customers of different genders, though private business owners may choose to continue the practice.

Previously, it was compulsory for restaurants to have one section for single women and families, and another for single men.

They were also required to provide separate entrances for each of these groups.

These strict social rules were adopted in the 1980s and '90s by conservative religious authorities.

Since then, unrelated men and women have not been allowed to go out together in public.

Yet slowly but surely, many of these restrictions have been relaxed in recent years.

Observers argue that this process was accelerated after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came to power in 2017.

Since then, bin Salman has enacted a series of for-reaching social reforms.

For example, women were granted the right to drive a car and travel without the consent of a male guardian for the first time ever.

In addition, the kingdom has begun hosting international sporting events and musical performances that both men and women can attend.

The hope is that these measures will encourage foreign investment into the kingdom.

The crown prince has stated his desire to diversity the Saudi economy and move away from relying so much on oil.

Critics point out that Saudi Arabia still has too many laws that discriminate against women.

But although the country may still have a long way to go, many see the recent reforms as a step in the right direction toward ending gender segregation.

 

 

• conservative kən|sɜːrvətɪv 보수적인 , 영국 보수당의  restriction rɪˈstrɪkʃn 제한[규제]  regarding rɪ|ɡɑːrdɪŋ … 에 관하여[대하여]

• gender ˈdʒendə 성, 성별  relationship rɪˈleɪʃnʃɪp 관계 ˌ  segregation  seɡrɪˈɡeɪʃn   (인종·종교·성별에 따른) 분리[차별] (정책)

• Effective ɪˈfektɪv  효과적인 (→cost-effective), (↔ineffective) , 시행[발효]되는  though (비록) …이긴 하지만[…인데도/…일지라도] (=although)

• practice ˈpræktɪs 실행, 실천 , 관행, 관례  compulsory kəmˈpʌlsəri 강제적인, 의무적인, 필수의 (=mandatory), (↔voluntary)  section ˈsekʃn 부분, 부문, 구획

• adopt əˈdɑːpt  (정책 등을 투표로) 채택하다 , 입양하다 (→foster)  adopted 입양된 adoption 입양 , 채택  authority ə|θɔːrəti 권한 , 재가, 인가

• relax rɪˈlæks  휴식을 취하다[느긋이 쉬다] (=unwind) , 긴장이 풀리다[긴장을 풀다],  풀다[놓다] relaxed 느긋한, 여유 있는 , 관대한[너그러운] (=laid-back)

• Observer əb|zɜːrvə 보는 사람, 목격자  came to something  (총계가) ~이 되다 ,  (특히 좋지 않은 상황이) 되다  consent kənˈsent 동의[허락]  / 동의[허락]하다

• enact  ɪˈnækt (법을) 제정하다 , 일어나다, 벌어지다 (=be played out)  grant ɡrænt 승인[허락]하다 , 인정하다 / 보조금 guardian |ɡɑːrdiən 수호자 (=custodian)

• for the first time 처음으로 measure ˈmeʒə (치수양 등을 표준 단위로) 측정하다[재다] , (치수길이양 등이) …이다 / 조치[정책] (→half measures) , 방안, 방법,

• state steɪt 상태, 국가, 나라 /  국가의, 국영의 / (정식으로) 말하다[쓰다], 진술[서술/언명]하다   diversity daɪ|vɜːrsəti  다양성 (=variety)

• move away from (거리상) ~ 에서 떨어지다 / (안전 등을 위해) 한 발짝 물러나다 , ...에서 이사하다.

• discriminate dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪt 차별하다 , 식별[구별]하다 (=differentiate, distinguish)  discrimination dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃn 차별 (→positive discrimination)