UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 52) Employment: The number of women employed in government jobs rose by 7.95 per cent in a single year (2010-2011) and the number working in education amounted to 228,000, as against 224,000 men. The number of women employed as teaching faculty and lecturers at universities has increased from 11,000 to 13,000. Women's sections have recently been established in a number of government bodies, including the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Ministry of Justice, the Board of Grievances and labour offices, as well as in certain security sectors. For its part, the Ministry of Labour has issued a number of decisions designed to accelerate the recruitment of women in various private-sector spheres (including women's shops, retailing and factories). In conjunction with the Human Resources Development Fund, it has also introduced programmes to promote women's employment, including in those spheres. Programmes have likewise been developed for telecommuting, part-time work and productive families in order to suit women who have either no desire or no time to work outside the home. The National Organization for Joint Training also set up a training programme to prepare girls for entry to the job market and employment, which is run by the Ministry of Labour, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation and the Human Resources Development Fund.

Para 64) The Ministry of Social Affairs is currently preparing an implementing regulation on the procedural mechanisms for application of the Child Protection Act. This Act complements the draft law on protection from abuse, which prohibits all forms of abuse against all of the groups most vulnerable to violence, particularly women and children, and establishes national mechanisms for protecting these groups. Expectations are that the draft law will be passed in the near future. The Ministry has also undertaken the following:
- Signed memoranda of cooperation with a number of civil society organizations and charitable societies for the provision of sheltered accommodation for groups at risk of violence;
- Signed a memorandum of cooperation with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology for the implementation of a national strategy to combat domestic violence and deliver awareness programmes;
- Set up a call centre for receiving reports of violence against women, which is reached by dialling 1919;
- Implemented Cabinet Decision No. 366 of December 2008, which prescribes measures for curbing the problem of domestic violence, including the accelerated opening of social protection units throughout the Kingdom.

Para 67) Working in cooperation with the Family Safety Programme, the Ministry of Education established procedural mechanisms for identifying and reporting cases of violence in schools, through the child helpline, and appointed its own coordinators for the provinces and governorates. Programmes were also launched to raise awareness of children's rights. These included programmes for ... giving voice to girl students.

UN Compilation:
Para 47) A 2013 United Nations Statistics Division source indicated that employment-to- population ratio of women decreased from 15.3 per cent in 2008 to 14.6 per cent in 2009.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 20) ... AI, JS1, ECLJ and HRW noted that no effective legal and practical measures have been put in place to criminalize violence against women. HRW stated the government failed to enact the 2011 draft law to combat violence against women and children.

Para 34) ... JS4 noted that no effective mechanism to prevent domestic violence has been implemented and the Protection from Harm Act has not been enacted.

Para 61) JS4, JS1, ECLJ and HRW noted that although recommendations 17, 18, 19 and 20 had been accepted during the 2009 UPR, little has been done to genuinely implement them ...

Para 62) HRW noted the adoption of legislative reforms expanding women's rights in the workforce by allowing them to work in limited areas such as clothing stores. While such reforms represent important steps forward, their efficacy is limited by the male guardianship system.

National Report:
Para 28) Two human rights instruments — the ICCPR and ICESCR — are currently being studied by a high-level governmental committee with a view to accession. Under article 5(4) of its charter, the Human Rights Commission may express an opinion on international human rights instruments and accession thereto.

National Report:
Para 110) Forced marriage is forbidden by Islamic sharia law, which holds that a marriage can only be concluded with the woman’s consent. Sharia law prohibits a woman being prevented from marrying or forced into marriage against her will. A woman may not be prevented from marrying a man who meets the lawful conditions for marriage. The King Abdulaziz Centre for National Dialogue conducted a study in partnership with stakeholders and civil society organizations, which showed that the number of women entering into forced or early marriage continues to decline. The study gave rise to a set of proposals, containing a number of measures and guidelines. Note that article 16 (3) of the implementing regulations for the Child Protection Act stipulates that, before the contract of marriage can be concluded, it must be ascertained that the marriage of a person under the age of 18, whether male or female, shall not cause harm and shall be in the best interests of that person.

UN Compilation:
Para 54) [CEDAW] was also concerned about persisting harmful practices, including child and forced marriage, …
Para 58) [CRC] was seriously concerned that judges had discretion to determine the age of majority and that they frequently authorized the marriage of girls who had attained puberty. It noted that judges often considered underage marriage as being in the best interest of the girl child, leading to multiple violations of girls’ rights. CEDAW noted that a high proportion of girls continued to marry before the age of 18 years.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 39) HRW noted that following its previous UPR in 2013 Saudi Arabia rejected a recommendation to “introduce a minimum marriage age of 18 years for both men and women,” and at this writing no ban on child marriage has yet been passed. Musawah noted that there is no legislation criminalizing forced marriages, nor is there a mechanism to sanction officers conducting them. It stated that under the Law on Child Protection, an advisory committee should examine each case individually to approve marriage to a person below 18. However, the standards to determine the minor’s interests and welfare are unclear, and minors are often not interviewed.