About Equal Rights For Saudi Women

Edward Luce lunches with Prince Turki al-Faisal, the man who headed Saudi Arabia’s intelligence service for 24 years.  The Prince talks about equal rights for Saudi women.

Who is the most prized woman in Saudi Arabia today?  A woman with a job.

“When I was growing up, the head of a family considered it shameful to ask his wife or daughter to get a job. He thought he should take care of his womenfolk. Because of education, the woman with a job became something of a prize and she brings in more income to her parents, she’s looked up to by her siblings, and she’s sought after by suitors. But what I hear from people in my entourage, the women in my family, is that driving is not that important. What is important to them is equal legal rights, whether it is inheritance, divorce, childcare, things that affect women’s livelihood. They say let us concentrate on improving these things first and not expend our energy on driving, because that will come by itself.”

The Prince Talks about Saudi Women and Spying