Saudi women will no longer be served divorce notices. Instead, they will now be notified by Saudi courts via a text message that their marriage has been dissolved.
Based on a new regulation by the Saudi justice ministry, courts will notify women via text message when they get divorced, so that the practice of secret divorces can be curbed.
“Women … will be notified of any changes to their marital status via text message.”
An End to Secret Divorces
While the rest of the world tries to keep their relationship secret, Saudi men were more prone to keeping their divorces secret. They secretly ended marriages with their wives, leaving them with no knowledge of the divorce.
Women will now not only be informed via text message but they can also access relevant documents on the justice ministry’s website.
“Women in the kingdom will be able to view documents related to the termination of their marriage contracts through the ministry’s website.”
Saudi state broadcaster Al-Ekhbariya broke the news and all other news outlets then followed suit in disseminating the news.
Why is This Important?
Why does this move benefit Saudi women? Here’s how.
By knowing their marital status, Saudi women can protect rights related to alimony and the power of attorney, which now could not be misused before the divorce.
Additionally, the SMS will help these women know their divorce certificate number and the court’s name from where they can pick up their documentation.
A New Policy
The decision is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MbS) liberalization drive in the culturally conservative country. The country had previously been called out over lack of progress in sectors such as women rights, right to information, censorship, etc.
Human rights bodies believe that Saudi Arabia has some of the most regressive laws when it comes to women.
In just June 2018, the driving ban for females was lifted, another move that came as part of the modernization drive. Shortly afterwards, the decades old cinema ban in the country was also lifted, with certain days that permitted a mixed crowd at the theater.
Other such moves include permitting women to enter sports stadiums. In the past, sports arenas were male-only zones.
Women are also being encouraged to participate in the workforce as MbS aims to create an economy not dependent on oil money.
