Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Can law firms with offices in Saudi Arabia take women's rights seriously? | Laura Paddison | Law | guardian.co.uk

Saudi Arabia is the place where law firms have flocked over the years, eager to take advantage of the lucrative legal opportunities in the oil-rich kingdom. Most major international law firms have a presence and they are all merrily doing business somewhere their female lawyers would not be welcome.

Saudi Arabia is introducing new laws allowing women to work in the legal profession on an equal footing to their male peers. From early next month female lawyers will be able to secure licenses to practise law from the Ministry of Justice. They will be permitted to enter the courtroom and argue cases directly, have their own offices and, for the first time, represent male clients.

It is a hugely important step along the long and bumpy road Saudi Arabia must travel if it is to achieve anything like gender equality. In theory, female lawyers will enjoy exactly the same professional rights as their male counterparts. In practice, however, it might not be so straightforward.

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