Women's rights

Saudi Arabia has made significant progress in advancing and protecting women's rights through a comprehensive framework of legislative reforms, policies, and empowerment initiatives. Guided by the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom continues to expand opportunities for women, strengthen their participation in public life, and promote their contributions to social and economic development.

Vision 2030 places women's empowerment among its key priorities, supporting their full participation in the labor market, fostering talent development, and enabling access to opportunities that allow women to contribute effectively to their communities and the nation's prosperity.

Legislation Supporting Women's Rights

A number of laws contribute to the protection and advancement of women's rights, including:

• Personal Status Law
• Labor Law
• Health Law
• Law of Protection from Abuse 
• Anti-Harassment Law
• Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law 
• Anti-Cyber Crime Law 
• Alimony Fund Regulation

Key Reforms and Initiatives

Saudi Arabia has introduced a wide range of measures to strengthen women's rights and enhance their participation across sectors, including:

• Ensuring equal rights, responsibilities, and employment conditions for women and men.
• Establishing dedicated mechanisms for reporting and addressing domestic violence.
• Creating the Gender Balance Center to promote equal opportunities.
• Establishing Personal Status Courts to address family-related matters.
• Expanding employment support services and women's workforce participation programs.
• Launching initiatives that support working women, including childcare, transportation, remote work, freelance work, and flexible employment programs.
• Enabling women to register births and report marriage, divorce, and related civil status events.
• Granting women the right to obtain passports and travel independently in accordance with applicable regulations.
• Allowing women to obtain and maintain family records through civil status services.
• Aligning the retirement age for women and men.
• Strengthening legal protections in family-related cases.
• Prohibiting marriage under the age of 18.

Impact of Recent Reforms

Recent reforms have contributed to substantial progress in women's participation and representation across various sectors. Women's participation in the labor market has increased significantly, alongside greater representation in leadership positions and decision-making roles.

Women today play an increasingly active role across the public and private sectors, including legal, judicial, security, military, sports, and administrative fields. The Kingdom has also expanded opportunities for women and girls to participate in sports and represent Saudi Arabia in regional and international competitions.

These developments reflect the Kingdom's ongoing commitment to enhancing women's rights, expanding opportunities, and fostering an inclusive environment that supports equal participation and sustainable development.

International Commitments

Saudi Arabia is a State Party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), reaffirming its commitment to advancing women's rights and promoting their full participation in society.

Women's Rights Committee

The Women's Rights Committee within the Human Rights Commission is responsible for examining issues related to women's rights, including family matters, protection from violence, healthcare, and working conditions. The Committee also follows up on the implementation of CEDAW and reviews the Kingdom's periodic reports, in addition to monitoring relevant recommendations issued by international human rights mechanisms.