Saudi Arabia Expands Women’s Rights

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia has published new laws that loosen restrictions on women by allowing them to apply for a passport and travel freely. The development ends a long-standing guardianship policy that had controlled women’s freedom of movement and is a potential game-changer for Saudi women’s rights. Still in place, however, are rules that require male consent for a woman to marry. Women still cannot pass on citizenship to their children and cannot provide consent for their children to marry.