Being a woman in Saudi Arabia: What was and what is? Evaluation Note/ Hilmi Demir

If Saudi Arabian model Rumi Al-Kahtani had not competed in the Miss Global Asia Beauty Contest in Malaysia, Turkish public opinion would likely be less focused on Saudi Arabia. As a society that enjoys tabloids and scandal, our attention was immediately drawn to Saudi Arabia. So much so that we almost attempted to introduce secularism and democracy into Saudi Arabia.

Yes, we must admit that Saudi Arabia has been undergoing major reforms for quite some time. In our last post, we addressed the socioeconomic reasons behind this, as well as the rise of nationalist speech in Saudi Arabia. In this essay, I will explore the women's issue and how things have changed for women in Saudi Arabia. Because there is a significant shift that cannot be reduced to a beauty contest. The women's issue in Saudi Arabia, as well as the rights that women have earned, are societal realities. Saudi Arabia cannot be comprehended without first recognizing its reality.

The Cold War ideology is being abandoned

I should clarify that Saudi Arabia's harsh stance on women is more ideological than religious. In reality, the Cold War and the Iranian Revolution influenced their stringent approach to women. In two separate addresses, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), the architect of Saudi Arabia's recent developments, underlined the role of these two events in the country's hardening.

You may read evaluation note from here.