World News for Students of English

09-08-2019 07:00

In Saudi Arabia, women are treated as minors, and they must ask their male guardians first when they want to do some things. For example, Saudi women must ask if they can get a job or go to hospital, in some cases.

However, the country is changing and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that he is trying to find a middle ground between Saudis who want to change the guardianship laws and those who do not. He said: ‘Saudis don’t want to lose their identity, but we want to be part of the global culture. We want to merge our culture with the global identity.’

In a series of tweets, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador said that the country will put in place laws which will change women’s status for the better. For example, with those laws women older than 21 will be allowed to travel outside the country without telling their guardians.

Difficult words: treat (think of as, act towards someone like he or she is a minor), minor (a young person who cannot do everything and must ask their parents to do some things), guardian (a husband, father or brother who says what the woman is allowed or not allowed to do).

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