A poll in Saudi Arabia shows that Saudi men blame women for the rising number of molestation cases, basing the abuse on women wearing too much make-up.
The King Abdul Aziz Centre for National Dialogue surveyed 992 men and women over 19 years old. Results show that 86.5% of men believe that women who wear make-up is the answer to the rising female molestation cases in public places in Saudi Arabia.
It’s absolutely ridiculous if you think about it considering that most Saudi women completely cover their bodies. Their eyes and eyebrows are the only visible features, and not to generalize, but women still want to be able to feel beautiful, which is why they result to make-up. Unfortunately, men are blaming women for “seducing” them with their accented features.
Emirates 24/7 reported that 80% of the respondents believed that the increase was due to the lack of law enforcement like anti-molestation laws and penalties to deter the perpetrators. 91% of the subjects state “poor religious” sentiment as a key factor, while 75% blame it on the lack of public awareness on molestation.
Saudi women are regulated by religious laws that dictate what they should wear and seek permission from a male guardian to do practically everything. In Saudi, women are still not allowed to drive. This ruling influenced about 60 women in Saudi to stage a protest against the country’s ban on female drivers in October 2013. In May, a Saudi cleric encouraged his followers to harass Saudi women working as cashiers so they will be forced to stay at home to protect their chastity.
In reality, women should never be blamed for allegedly tempting a man to molest, rape or assault her, no matter what she wears or how she looks.
To further understand your rights as a woman and how the world continues to blame women for sexual assaults, we highly recommend that you read our guide to rape culture.
