Riyadh: The government-created Human Rights Commission (HRC) has said that it is seriously working for including the practice of preventing women by their guardians from getting married, known in Islamic sharia as Adhl, as a human trafficking crime. Violators will get 15 years' imprisonment.
 
Cases of fathers or direct males guardians preventing women from getting married in order to get their salaries are on the rise in Saudi Arabia. The phenomenon has led to high rate of spinsterhood.

Though no accurate statistics are available on spinsterhood in Saudi Arabia, legal activists and sociologists are saying that it is the highest rate at the Arab world level. In the past few years there are a number of cases where male family members obtain court approval to prevent, force, or seek to dissolve marriages. 

HRC said this is a dangerous crime, adding that it is studying this phenomenon from its Islamic and social aspects in a bid to solve it through education and awareness and at the same asking courts to alleviate the sufferings of women who are victims to such behavior.

 

Earlier this year HRC said its ladies branch in Riyadh has, in 2010, received 233 cases from women both Saudis and non Saudis. It added that 19 cases were from women asking to be granted the right to marry.

 

The Commission appealed to judges to settle such cases as delay resulted in significant damages and suffering for women.

 

Dr. Bandar Al Aiban, President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission underscored the vital role that could be played by lawyers in litigation before courts for women being prevented from tying the knot. The role of lawyers would contribute in successfully putting an end to these violations, he added.

 

He explained the danger of adhl, adding that preventing a woman from getting married means depriving her from a right guaranteed to her by the Islamic sharia.

 

He pointed out that fathers and male guardians behave arbitrary when dealing with women under their protection. This runs contrary to the provisions of Islam as Islam grants the woman the right to select a qualified man to marry, he said. He added that such behavior by fathers or male guardians violates human rights.

 

He noted that Adhl is one of the most dangerous crimes that affect the society and lead to the breakup of families. He said the commission is closely following this phenomenon and will spare no effort in finding durable solutions for it.