In a decision that delighted activists and the international scene in general, the Saudi Arabian government recently adopted a law that imposes criminal punishments against domestic violence. The country has long been criticized for its lack of policies which aim to protect woman and children.

Remarkable Move

The new law dubbed The Protection from Abuse Policy is an unprecedented move from the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom, all the more as the country is known to adhere to stricter Islamic sharia laws which enforce a number of restrictions on women and give male guardians greater power as based on traditions. However, Saudi Arabia’s human rights activists see it as a ray of light in a community that at most caters to male dominance and they have stated they are willing to push it through to get it implemented.

“This is a good law that serves major segments of the society in the kingdom, including women, children, domestic workers, and non-domestic workers. We are always in favor of an explicit law that does not need interpretations or personal judgment,” National Society for Human Rights’ secretary-general, Khaled al-Fakher, stated in an interview with an international press. The said the organization had also helped draft the new law.

The United Nations, which had been urging the kingdom to draft laws for women protection since 2008, is quite happy with its realization. Jaafer Shaieb, another activist, sees the law as a vital step that will be the start of putting an end to the rising number of violence committed within families and even against domestic workers which primarily are Asian women. But he fears that the law’s implementation will be faced with administrative delays and will take some time before it comes to effect.

Walid Abulkhair, a Saudi Arabian human rights defender, also mirrors the same thoughts as Mr. Shaieb. His concerns center on the authoritative mentality of the kingdom’s governing body, especially those of the radical conservatives, and how this will affect the law’s application. However, the social affairs ministry had given the assurance that by the end of this year, law enforcement mechanisms are going to be published and publicized.

The Law’s Provisions

The new anti-abuse law centers mainly against domestic violence as well as on protecting women as it states that “98 percent of physical violence is committed by men against women”. The 17-article legislation’s scopes range from any kind of physical or psychological brutalities with the violators facing penalties of imprisonment from a month to a year and a fine of $1,330-13,300 (5,000-50,000 riyal).

The law was approved on August 26 during a cabinet meeting. Prior to the law’s approval, The King Khalid Foundation launched an unexpected campaign against domestic violence by putting up a poster of a woman wearing a veil sporting a bruised eye underneath with the caption “Some things can’t be covered – fighting women’s abuse together” which went viral in the internet.

Due to strict traditional laws, women are afraid to report any violence for fear of social stigma. However, with the advent of this new bill, this is set to change and hopefully other regulations that restrict Arabian women from traveling, carrying out businesses or applying for jobs as well.