Taif University
In the western city of Taif, one woman has taken the initiative to inform Saudi Arabian women of their legal rights. Dr. Abeer Alobaidy, vice president of legal administration in the University of Taif, offered a workshop this week detailing the various legal rights and duties that women have under Islamic law, reminding attendees that their religion protected their rights at every stage of life, from childhood to adulthood, before marriage and after, including death of a spouse, divorce, and marriage annulment.
According to Saudi Gazette, the workshop, which was titled “Women’s Rights According to Saudi Regulations” was presented by Dr. Alobaidy in the university’s department of Community Service and Continuing Education. The initiative covered various legal matters, from those related to personal affairs, workplace, civil affairs, to investigation and pleading systems, implementation, and even online harassment and how to report it.
With specific regards to the rights of a divorcee or a woman who has had her marriage annulled, Dr. Alobaidy explained the difference between the two scenarios, as reported by the news site. She specifically discussed the issue of alimony, explaining that the terms usually vary depending on the situation, and that the alimony amount is usually decided by the court. She also talked about cases where alimony is either definite or annulled, saying, “Alimony is considered a first-degree debt, which gets put above all others.”
Also discussed at the workshop were: the Saudi government’s measures to ensure that any woman who gets divorced is provided a source of financial stability – in the case her father is unemployed – in the form of a monthly allowance given directly to her by an alimony fund for divorces; the basic legal principles regarding child custody; laws that guarantee full guardianship over a minor child; the issue of online harassment and how to report it to the authorities; and laws regarding extortion, as well as the one-year jail sentence and the fine it carries.
