Explained: New rights for Saudi women: what they are, how they will work

Under the new rules, Saudi women would be able to travel abroad without needing to seek approval from their male guardians. They would also be able to apply for a passport by themselves upon turning 21. The reforms place Saudi women on a par with the men with regard to the freedom to travel.

Saudi Arabia women rights, Women rights expanded in Saudi, Male guardianship system Saudi Arabia, Wilayah system in Saudi Arabia — Women can now also be the legal guardian of their children, a position hitherto reserved for men. (Sergey Ponomarev/The New York Times)

Women in Saudi Arabia scored a significant victory earlier this month, after they were allowed to travel abroad without obtaining permission from a male guardian, apply for passports, and register their marriages and divorces. In highly conservative Saudi Arabia, these steps, deemed natural almost everywhere else in the world, constitute key social reforms.