Saudi Arabia announced earlier this week that it would sign the Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Officials in the Saudi government stated that they would abide by those statues of the treaty that do not contradict Islamic Sharia law. This conditioning makes the Saudi commitment to the treaty unclear whereas women living in the country suffer from vast human rights restrictions. Women living in Saudi Arabia, including foreign visitors, must follow strict dress code or suffer consequences such as detention or ill treatment; are not allowed to drive; must walk with the company of her husband or close male relative; and must obtain written permission from a male relative in order to travel.
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