THE FATE OF WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD

Today we will discuss Saudi Arabia, India and France.

Saudi Arabia :

The Saudis have just obtained by law entered into force last Sunday, January 6, 2019, the right to be informed now by text of any change in their marital status, including divorce.

It is the news channel Al Ekhbariya that has just released the information, stating that the courts were now responsible for disseminating this information. Women will simultaneously be able to consult documents related to the breakdown of their marriage on the website of the Ministry of Justice.

Informed by text? We could be offended! What nenni! In this country as big as 4 times France (2 150 000 Km2), completely desert, of which each inhabitant or almost owns a Smartphone, it appeared more practical and faster to use this mode of communication rather than nits camel caravans!

The reform was presented as an advance by the new prince, Salman Abdelaziz Al Saoud who in 2018 had already given women the right to drive.

However, it must be remembered that men still have a unilateral right to divorce (which also includes breaking the engagement) without having to provide proof. The divorce is effective immediately the husband is nevertheless obliged to provide his ex-wife, a financial support of 4 months 10 days. Four months and ten days have not yet figured out why?

At the same time, a woman can only get a divorce with the consent of her husband or "if the law proves that she is being abused". In practice, it is still difficult for a woman to obtain a divorce, and the "civilizational" advance, as Emmanuel Macron would say, wanted by Prince Salman, is tiny.

Because the ability of men to divorce results in unlimited polygamy, in this country that tolerates polygamy up to 4 women.

There was in Saudi Arabia in 2013 (source Courrier International) a divorce every 20 minutes!

The Saudi Monarchy is one of the hardest regimes in the world. The regime is intractable in many societal areas and despite some reforms, women's rights in this country have nothing to do with those of their peers in the western world.

Despite this situation, Saudi Arabia obtained from the United Nations, on 21 September 2015, and after a long working session, its appointment as head of the "advisory group" responsible for selecting the rapporteurs in charge of selected themes, including that …. Violence against women We always wonder!

Has the recent decision of the Wahhabi regime been influenced by this new responsibility? It's possible ! But that's not certain either! It must indeed be observed that it took more than four years for the Saudi Monarchy to change the rights of women. At this rate it will take several more decades for Arab women to obtain complementary advances and a status equivalent to that of their Western counterparts.

India:

India has been torn apart for a few days over the access of women to a Hindu temple. Violence has been going on since January 2, 2019 after two women sneaked into a temple in Sabarimala (a port city in Kerala, southern India).

The controversy surrounding the entry of women into a Hindu temple started with a judgment of the Supreme Court (which is the highest Judiciary), which had ruled, in accordance with international law, that the ban on women coming praying violated religious freedom and the principle of gender equality.

In a country where the weight of religion is immense (the prohibition of women is engraved in Hinduism), this judgment does not end to fuel a debate that seems to be dominated by the right.

This case, moreover, highlighted the weakness of the rule of law in India, as the state police still have not resolved to enforce the law.

France :

"Precarious, discriminated, revolted" women's yellow vests were numerous this Sunday, January 6, 2019. They wore that day large banners "black" on which was inscribed their slogan.

The general opinion was that there were no serious incidents or violence, as in the previous day. It should nevertheless be noted that in Paris, the event was circled, Place de l'Opera, by the CRS. A video broadcast on social networks showed "a woman treated crazy, requiring therapy" by said CRS, who wanted to force him to remove his yellow vest. Some newspapers were not more delicate, like the Parisian, treating in a title these women of "chicks marching in the street".

The yellow women vests who had been very active from 17 November, at the beginning of the movement, had wanted to organize their own rally while "stating that their event was not going to be a feminist struggle, but a struggle. feminine ".

They had been discreet until now. They wanted to show on January 6, 2019, that they also represented, wearing a Phrygian cap and crying tears blue and red, "the motherland angry, for themselves and the future of their children."

Beyond the substantive debate, the codes used by the protesters to organize themselves were not trivial. The movement remained nevertheless very protean, the situation and the balance of power with the political power in place giving him little visibility.

In the light of these examples, we see that women, rarely put forward, still struggle to have the word and exist, even in France as we have just seen.