Saudi Arabia rules women can join Armed Forces, in latest reform

Saudi Arabia, announced on Wednesday that women now will be allowed to serve the armed forces, as the ultra-conservative Kingdom ushers for social and economic reforms. The move is the latest in the series of measures taken to ease the restrictions on women and propel the de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman's 'Vision 2030' in terms of empowering women. 

This comes even as human rights groups accused the monarch of cracking down on women activists and critics have cited these changes to be prompt, yet cosmetic.

"Another step to empowerment," the Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter, adding that women would be able to serve as private first class, corporal or sergeant.

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The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence notified that women will be allowed to hold ranks of first soldier, corporal, deputy sergeant and sergeant in the branches of the Saudi Royal Land Forces as well as in the Royal Air Forces, Royal Navy, Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, strategic missiles sector, and medical services for the armed forces, Asharq Al Awsat reported.

Last year, Saudi Arabia authorised women to join its security forces.

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Reforms by Mohammed bin Salman 

Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, has approved a handful of reforms aimed at widening women's rights, including allowing them to drive and to travel abroad without consent from a male "guardian."

After Mohammed bin Salman was moved in the line of Royal succession, in 2017, the Crown Prince introducted reforms such as allowing women to drive, ending bans on public movie theaters, permission for concerts. The Crown Prince also lifted the restrictions from women, allowing them to be guardians for their children, register marraiges, divorce, births and deaths, obtains family documents from the Saudi government. 

“What happened in the last 30 years is not Saudi Arabia,” the Crown Prince said, adding, “Now is the time to get rid of it.” However, behind a rosey picture being painted of a reformed Kingdom, on the contrary, the Crown Prince has been accused globally of overseeing the arrests and alleged torture of prominent women's rights activists including Loujain al-Hathloul, who is still in Saudi prison.

(With AP inputs)

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