In a first, Saudi Arabia allows female officers to guard Islam’s holiest sites

In a significant move towards women empowerment, dozens of female soldiers have become a part of the security services that monitor the pilgrims in Mecca and Medina, the birthplaces of Islam.

Saudi female soldiers, for the very first time, were standing guard in Mecca as thousands of Muslim pilgrims are taking part in this year’s hajj. Dressed in military khaki uniforms, women soldiers were seen monitoring the security situation in the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

The female soldiers, guarding the holiest sites, were seen sporting loose trousers, a hip-length jacket, and a black beret over a veil covering their hair.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and will conclude with the Eid al-Adha celebrations.

Significance:

The pictures were circulated across social media where people hailed the feat and called it a key step towards women's empowerment.

After the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia permitted Saudi Arabian women to take up arms and enter the military, the women becoming part of security services has shown that the kingdom is ready to embrace women in their full potential, even though it’s still a long road.

The decision of making them part of security forces also sends a strong message to other middle-east countries where women are still considered inferior and have very limited basic rights.

•  Saudi Arabia, since 2017, has announced various reforms for women including opening up job opportunities and providing them more freedom.

•  In 2017, a decree was issued by King Salman which allowed women to drive cars and ended the decades-old ban on female drivers.

•  In 2017, King Salman ordered that women must be allowed access to the government services such as healthcare and education without the need for consent from a guardian.

•  In 2018, the percentage of women workforce in Saudi Arabia had jumped to 20.2%.

•  Because of the guardianship and divorce laws, women were not previously aware of when their husbands divorced them. In 2019, Supreme Court issued a law requiring women to receive a text message from the court when officially divorced.

•  In 2019, more new laws were issued granting women the right to register a marriage or a divorce, to travel abroad, and apply for official documents without the consent of a male guardian.

•  In 2019, the government allowed women to start working for higher officer ranks in the military. It also issued a ban on marriages under the age of 18 for both genders.

•  In 2021, women were permitted to be able to be appointed as court judges and also allowed women to live alone without permission from a male guardian.

•  In 2021, the country also permitted Saudi Arabian women to take up arms and enter the military.

Hajj under COVID-19 protocols: Key Highlights

•  While following the protocols of COVID-19, thousands of vaccinated Muslim pilgrims gathered at Mecca to perform Hajj.

•  10,000 vaccinated pilgrims circled the holiest site of Islam in Mecca but remained socially distanced and also wore masks.

•  Hajj pilgrimage, which was previously used to draw some 2.5 million Muslims, is now almost unrecognizable on this scale.

•  60,000 vaccinated residents of Saudi Arabia are allowed to perform Hajj. It is a far greater figure than the symbolic Hajj of 2020 that saw fewer than 1,000 people from Saudi taking part.