Want to control your wife and daughters? In Saudi Arabia, there’s an app for that. Seriously. If you head to the Apple iOS store or Google Play store, you can download the Absher app. The app allows people to access a wide variety of services, including visa and national ID services. Doesn’t sound so bad, right?
However, male guardians can access services that allow them to control their female relatives and other women under their guardianship. For example, Saudi women need permission from their male guardians to travel abroad. The app allows men to grant said permission and to set the parameters of their travels.
Human rights critics are now calling on Apple and Google to remove the app, claiming that it is being used to suppress women. When Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked about the app, he claimed he was unaware that it existed and said that Apple would look into it. Google also said it was looking at the app.
Saudi Arabia has found itself in the spotlight over the rights of women. Saudi Arabia is perhaps the most restrictive country in the world in regards to women’s rights. Simply allowing women to drive was considered a landmark reform. In practice, male guardians exercise extreme control over their female relatives.
As for the app, in some cases, women have actually been able to use it to their advantage. Some women have been able to log into their guardian’s phone and to grant themselves travel permission. Without the app, they may have never had the opportunity to do so.
On the other hand, the fact that an app can be used to control women is abhorrent. Same with the need to obtain permission from male guardians.
