Samar Al-Haysouni
Al-Madinah
The Ministry of Interior has put an end to the suffering of many widows and divorced women by issuing them separate ID cards, allowing them to finally prove the parenthood of their children. It is a step in the right direction to end the oppression and unfair treatment of some men who do not comply with Civil Status laws and refuse to register their children with the concerned government agency and issue them ID cards.
Most children of divorced women suffer the consequences of this situation. This decision will also ease the suffering of widows, and remove various legal and government obstacles that stood in their way and prevented them from getting ID cards. Women will have the right to finalize all the procedures of their children without getting approval from a male guardian. Many women have lost their rights in the past because some fathers abused the system and wanted to take revenge on them.
Enas Rashwan, a lawyer, said this is a fair decision for Saudi women because it allows Saudi women to finalize all the procedures before government agencies. Husbands will no longer have the upper hand in this situation and will no longer be able to blackmail women. The decision will protect the rights of children. Rashwan hopes that the decision will extend and cover the rights of others besides divorced women and widows.
Lujain Rafique, a trainee lawyer, said: “Before this decision, Saudi widows and divorced women were deprived of their basic rights. Their children could not enroll in schools because they did not have ID cards.”
I personally think that the decision will reduce the number of personal status cases involving divorced women and widows who want to regain the rights of their children. The question is: What about women who were deserted by their husbands? Will they benefit from this decision?
