Healthcare for Saudi Women
Prior to Islam becoming the dominant religion in Saudi Arabia, a woman's status was directly linked to their family roles. Those family roles consisted primarily of mother, daughter, sister, or wife, and the male of the household was responsible for the family that any one of them might live. Traditionally he had the power and authority to decide what entitlements his family would receive. The introduction of Islam was an attempt to improve women's lives as well as their rights. Both the Quran and the Hadith asserted that women rights equal to men. However, the application of the religious law was heavily influenced by those in power (men). Women in Saudi Arabia cannot be admitted to a governmental hospital without her male guardian, and a women cannot give consent for an invasive medical procedure, only her guardian can. Because there is no minimum age for marriage in Saudi Arabia, teenage pregnancy is very common. Many men in rural Saudi Arabia do not allow male gynecologists or obstetricians to examine their wives or sister and this may be a cause for high infant mortality rates. Limited roles and rights of women within the Saudi culture put women at a much higher risk than women from other countries. It is crazy to believe that in such a rich country that women are not afforded the necessary healthcare they need without a man's consent.