Saudi Women Have Moved On. Has the World?

The CBC News video below offers a measured view of Saudi Arabia’s transformation — yet also reveals how difficult it is to move beyond familiar frames.

This is a thoughtful and well-researched piece, capturing both the promises and the pitfalls of change. Still, narratives about Saudi women often remain trapped in symbolism. Once portrayed as victims, they are now cast as glittering icons of national reform. Perhaps it is time to move past such tidy labels — and look at Saudi women as they are: complex, diverse, and fully embedded in the country’s social and economic fabric.

There is, after all, more to Saudi Arabia than oil and women’s rights. Recent reforms — such as lifting travel restrictions for women over the age of 21 — have reshaped daily life. Female labour-force participation reached 36.2% in late 2024, up from just 20% in 2018. These are not token gestures but meaningful shifts, visible in offices, schools, and public life.

Still, foreign headlines often dwell on what Saudi women lack, rarely acknowledging that women’s progress is uneven even in the West. Gender pay gaps, boardroom ceilings, and political underrepresentation persist across Europe and North America. Saudi Arabia’s trajectory, while distinct, mirrors a broader global pattern: progress, resistance, and incremental gains.

Challenges remain, not least the legacy of the male guardianship system. But Saudi women have long navigated these constraints — without the need for foreign saviours to speak for them. The country’s transformation is far from complete, but it deserves a closer, more nuanced reading — not just another convenient headline.

Watch the CBC News feature here: https://youtu.be/Ge61ZQx6b0A?si=-PY7hluZYwgLtA6j

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