Saudi Arabia’s ultra-conservative society has long been associated with the harsh repression of women, but that’s changed dramatically in recent years. On a rare, unsupervised visit to Riyadh, CBC’s Chris Brown met women who say they are now thriving, though challenges remain.

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia has undergone notable social changes, particularly regarding women's rights and freedoms. Women are increasingly participating in the workforce, now making up 34% of it, and are no longer required to cover up or be segregated in public spaces. These changes follow the launch of the 2030 plan by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which aims to diversify the economy and modernize society.

Despite these advancements, human rights groups and advocates highlight ongoing challenges, including the persistence of male guardianship laws and the need for stronger legal protections for women. While many women in Saudi Arabia express optimism about the future and their new opportunities, there remains a gap between policy and practice, with further progress needed to ensure equality and protection for all women.

Saudi Arabia wants to change its image, with help from women

The speed of change in Saudi Arabia these days is astonishing. New communities are emerging from the desert as part of a determined economic transformation. Eclipsed only by an even more striking social revolution with women driving the change. Rawan al-Shafei, who's 30, is living in a Saudi Arabia where covering up is no longer compulsory and where women are making big inroads in the job market. She's the marketing manager for the company that runs this go-kart track and other fun attractions in a Riyadh shopping mall. I like working in a different place, manager, CEO, project manager. And for you in particular, you have a good job? Yeah, I have a great job actually and learning a lot from here. Over decades, Saudi Arabia's highly repressive rules for women have shaped a big part of the country's international image and driven criticism. We see the world tomorrow. But in 2016, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, launched the so-called 2030 plan to broaden the economy away from fossil fuels and to build a stronger, more productive society. And things started to change. Women were given the right to drive. The powers of the so-called morality police were curbed. And women seized the opportunities. Now, 34% of the country's workforce is female. He would trust in the woman. She has a bigger chance to be showing what she can do in this country. Our CBC News team recently visited and reported from Riyadh without supervision or preconditions. The first time that's happened in years. At Arab News, we met freelancer Gadi Jouda, who's 29. She lived in London, Ontario for a few years and returned to a changed country. When I got back, I was in complete shock. Restaurants were normally separated. So singles area, families area. I got back and everyone was just sitting in the same space. I feel so secure and so safe here. In a way that I haven't felt anywhere else, to put it lightly. So I do see that there's an amazing future happening. And it's unfolding right in front of us. And I'm excited to see how this goes. Human rights groups outside of Saudi Arabia say there's still a lot of work to do, though. And that male guardianship laws allowing men to control women's lives still exist. The World Bank also points out that Saudi needs stronger laws on domestic violence and divorce and access to financial services for women. Yeah, I would say that in general laws probably favor men more. Longtime women's advocate Maha Aqeel says the changes for women have been amazing. But there's also a gap between policy and practice. Sometimes it's not necessarily that the laws are not there. It's just a matter of following up, implementing and for the women themselves knowing their rights and going to the authorities and seeking help. For women, the changes ushered in by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are aimed at harnessing their economic potential. And though not complete, supporters believe their achievements will ripple throughout Saudi society.

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