It was one of the most amazing incidents of the Rio Olympics ever seen, Kariman Abuljudayal was taking part in the 100m dash, but he looked a little different from the rest of the runners. Ella Kariman put a hijab on her face and her entire body was covered in black velvet, making her one in three Saudi Arabian girls to participate in the largest congregation of games; Olympics.
Last year Sara Akhtar from Saudi Arabia took part in the 4x800m relay, she too had her whole body covered and even after losing her part to boast the ticket to the final she did a commendable job.
It is customary in Saudi Arabia for women to wear a burqa from head to toe, exposing the eyes and hands to perform daily household chores. There are strict rules and regulations, especially for women, where their entry is regularly supervised by the male of the family. Public dates and gatherings or any form of physical and social communication with men outside of the family relationship are considered subject to prosecution.
Sara moved to the United States in her early twenties, leaving behind the conservative lifestyle of Arab women and having the freedom to choose her wardrobe for herself. Many women like Sarah found that society’s male-dominant attitude was softening her aspirations, most of whom have moved abroad and have established a life of dignity and self-respect.
The Saudi Arabian government imposes strict laws against women and even deprives them of the basic right to freedom of speech and expression and restricts their lives behind the steaming cauldron of kitchen stalls.
Until 2012, no women were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, and as of now, only a few sports have been given the due concession perceived by the Arab government as “preserving dignity”, causing women to stay out of sports which involves wearing uptight outfits like gymnastics and wrestling.
One such incident occurred when Kariman’s shirt slipped an inch and a half as she ran and it was feared that a fatwa would be thrown against her demanding her execution or that the crowd might throw stones at her and bleed to death.
These types of incidents are no longer uncommon in Saudi Arabia, it is the rape victims, who are blamed and given no rehabilitation, instead of being given proper counseling and medical supervision, they are imprisoned and flogged.
So far no steps have been taken to restore the status of women in society. Saudi Arabia is still the unlucky country for women.