• Tweet

Picture taken from www.dailymaverick.co.za

Human rights groups had called on the International Olympic Committee to bar Saudi Arabia from competing in London, citing its failure ever to send a woman athlete to a Games and its ban on sports in girls' state schools.

Powerful Muslim clerics in the ultra-conservative state have repeatedly spoken out against the participation of girls and women in sports.

In Saudi Arabia women hold a lower legal status to men, are banned from driving and need a male guardian's permission to work, travel or open a bank account.

Under King Abdullah, the government has pushed for women to have better education and work opportunities and allowed them to vote in future municipal elections, the only public polls held in the kingdom.

In April, the head of the kingdom's General Presidency of Youth Welfare, the body that regulates sports in Saudi Arabia, said it would not prevent women from competing but that they would not have official government endorsement.

The International Olympic Committee said yesterday that talks with the Saudis were "ongoing" and that "we are working to ensure the participation of Saudi women at the Games in London".

The head of the kingdom's Olympic mission, Khalid al-Dakheel, said however he was unaware of any developments allowing women to participate.

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Wed Jun 19 08:23:27 SAST 2013 ::

Jun 26, 2012

thathakonke

So will they be competing wearing their vails?
Report Abuse

Jun 26, 2012

Papage

"In Saudi Arabia women hold a lower legal status to men, are banned from driving and need a male guardian's permission to work, travel or open a bank account"

What happen if you are not married and old? some laws, but I guess it works for them.
Report Abuse

Read all 2 comments