Manama: The Saudi health ministry has granted pregnant women the right to sign and approve any operation related to giving birth without the consent of a guardian, the ministry posted on its Twitter account.
The pregnant women are also entitled to know the state of pregnancy, the gestational age and the expected date of birth, as well as the expected method of delivery (natural, caesarean, assisted).
The ministry pointed out that it is within pregnant women’s rights not to cut the perineum at birth, unless it is necessary and after oral consent. They also have the right of access to information and the possibility to choose the details of natural birth from a wide range of options.
The ministry posted that pregnant women have the right to have a companion at the time of birth, whether from family members or friends. However, this right is possible only if the delivery room permits it and the presence of the companion does not violate the privacy of others who are giving birth, the ministry added.
Pregnant women also have the right to freedom of movement during labour, unless it is not allowed by their health condition or the condition of their foetus.
The ministry’s post was enthusiastically welcomed by social media users as a “great step forward for women’s rights” in the country.
Saudi institutions are undergoing a massive change in attitudes under an ambitious drive to modernise the society that has given women several new rights, including driving and attending public sporting events
