An American teacher who was trapped in Saudi Arabia after her marriage fell apart due to the country's draconian guardianship laws that give men power over women's movements has been granted residency in the kingdom and given access to her bank account.
Bethany Vierra, who is originally from Washington state and taught at a women’s university, said in a statement Sunday that Saudi officials had intervened in her case.
"I was never trying to escape Saudi Arabia," she told The New York Times, who first reported the story. "I have dedicated my life's work to this country and being a part of its growth, development and vision for its future."
In 2011, Vierra met a Saudi businessman. Two years later, they wed and had a daughter named Zaina. After the marriage went south, she had her rights stripped and got a taste at what life as a second-class citizen in the kingdom felt like.
Her cousin Nicole Carroll said the kingdom’s guardianship laws, which give men power over women, prevented Vierra from using her bank account, leaving the country, traveling with her daughter or even seeking legal help.
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“She is completely stuck,” Carroll said at the time. “She is out of options.”
Saudi Arabia’s restrictions on women aren’t new – but they are severe.
Under the guardianship system, Saudi women are given a legal status similar to that of a child. Women must have a male “guardian” with them whose permission they need in order to obtain a passport or even receive certain medical procedures. Male guardians can grant or deny permission to travel through a government app and can even be notified when any woman they have oversight over passes through the airport.
Even though Vierra was granted residency as the mother of a Saudi citizen, her 4-year-old daughter is still under the legal guardianship of her father, Vierra's ex-husband. Zaina is forbidden to leave the country without his permission - something he has refused to grant.
Still, the new development in Vierra's case is seen as progress for women's rights in the notoriously male-dominated country.
“If it is true and this is a possibility, I suppose it means the country is actually moving forward in the right direction on this,” Carroll said of her cousin’s new ability to travel to see relatives in the United States.
The kingdom’s restrictions on women were highlighted earlier this year when a Saudi teenager ran away from her vacationing family and barricaded herself in a Thai airport hotel. Her case grabbed global attention after she mounted a social media campaign via Twitter for asylum. Her efforts picked up enough public and diplomatic support to convince Thai officials to admit her temporarily under the protection of the United Nations. Eventually, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his country would allow the teen in as a refugee.
The case highlighted the plight of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. Several Saudi girls and women who have tried to flee alleged abuse by their families have been caught trying to seek asylum abroad and forced to return home.
Saudi Arabia has come under fire for its treatment of women. Last year, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman boasted the country had loosened some restrictions on women, letting them drive and allowing them into sports stadiums.
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During a “60 Minutes” interview, he said that men and women were equal. “We are all human beings, and there is no difference.” However, when asked about guardianship rules in a different interview, he said his country needed to “figure out a way to treat this that doesn’t harm families and doesn’t harm the culture.”
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