Princess wants greater rights for women in Saudi Arabia

If it were up to Saudi Princess Basma Bint Saud Bin Abdulaziz, a journalist based in London, she would change a few things in Saudi Arabia and grant greater rights to women. "As a daughter, sister, (former) wife, mother, businesswoman and a working journalist, these are the things that I would like to see changed in Saudi Arabia," she said in a report posted on the BBC website. Princess Basma Bint Saud Bin Abdulaziz is the daughter of former KSA ruler King Saud, who established the first women's university and abolished slavery in Saudi Arabia. The former king also sought to establish a constitutional monarchy that separates the position of king from that of prime minister.  "Our religion should not be a shield behind which we hide from the world but a driving force that inspires us to innovate and contribute to our surroundings,” the princess said. "Our ancient culture, of which I am very proud, is renowned for its nobility and generosity, but we lack, and urgently need, fundamental civil laws with which to govern our society," said Princess Basma, who is divorced and lives in London with her children. She was educated in Britain and Switzerland. The princess is one of the 15,000 members of the Saudi royalty. The kingdom was established in 1932 by King Abd-al-Aziz. The country is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the cradle of Islam. One of the richest countries in the world, Saudi Arabia hosts more than 25% of the world's known oil reserves. According to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), Saudi Arabia is the second top destination of Filipinos abroad. The 2010 Stock Estimate of Filipinos Overseas shows that there are over 1.5 million Filipinos in Saudi Arabia. What the Princess wants According to the BBC report, what the princess wants in general are: (1) "a proper constitution that treats all men and women on an equal footing before the law but that also serves as a guide to our civil laws and political culture;" (2) divorce laws that are not "abusive;" (3) overhaul of the education system because "the way women today are treated in Saudi Arabia is a direct result of the education our children, boys and girls, receive at school;" (4) reform of social services because the  "ministry of social affairs is tolerating cruelty towards women rather than protecting them," and  (5) role of the Mahram (chaperone) because in Saudi, women "cannot get around or travel without a mahram (a kind of chaperone - usually a male relative)." Princess Basma said: "I am not calling for a western system but an adaptation of that system to suit our needs and culture. Thus our Constitution should be inspired by the philosophy of the Koran with principles that are set in stone and not open to the whims of individual judges as is the case now."  On divorce, the princess said a woman can only get a divorce if she either pays a large sum of money or gets someone to witness the reason she is filing for a divorce, a condition that she describes as nearly "impossible." In Saudi, she said divorced fathers automatically receive custody of children who are over six years old. - with Kimberly Jane Tan, VVP, GMA News