In a historic move for the country of Saudi Arabia, certain stadiums are opening themselves up to permit women to enter unaccompanied to watch sports. The move comes on the heels of continued work in the country with regards to women's rights.
The Guardian reports that, prior to today, January 12, 2018 women in Saudi Arabia could only watch games from television sets at home. That will begin to change as soccer arenas in Dammam, Jeddah, and Riyadh are set to appoint sections for female fans specifically.
Before the ban was lifted, women were previously arrested for trying to enter a stadium, ABC News reports. The Guardian notes that in September 2017, women were allowed into a stadium located in Riyadh for National Day as part of an initiative supported by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; the paper attributed the success of that September event to today's news.
According to ABC News, women will be kept apart from men for much of their stadium experience, and will be required to enter through separate entrances, sit in an area designated for them, and can only use stadium facilities and areas marked for women. Experts told The Guardian they think a number of women will show up for these initial matches, but noted that not all in the country have been supportive of the move. Journalist Aseel Bashraheel told The Guardian that some believe the decision is against tradition, but noted "there's always room for more change."
In September 2017, news broke that women would be permitted to drive in the country for the first time. The BBC notes that there are still many things women in the country aren't permitted to do unless given permission by a man, including getting an account at the bank, getting married, and applying for a passport and traveling out of the country.
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