New laws in Saudi Arabia will allow women to apply for a passport and travel abroad without prior permission from a man.
The changes are set to go into effect by the end of August, according to the Associated Press.
The country’s previous longstanding policy treated adult women as minors, requiring a male guardian’s approval to obtain a passport or travel outside the country. A woman’s father or husband, sometimes even her son, thus often served as her guardian.
Saudi Arabia will also allow women to register to be legal guardians of their children and obtain official family documents. Women can also register a marriage, a divorce or their child’s birth. Such changes will make it easier for women to obtain identification cards and enroll their children in school.
Women in the kingdom still do not have as many freedoms as their male counterparts. They will continue to need permission from a man to marry and leave domestic abuse shelters and prison. Women also cannot give consent to their children to marry or pass on citizenship to their children.
The change follows the kingdom lifting a ban on women driving last year.
