Is the Saudi Gender Gap Narrowing?

Saudi Arabia has enthusiastically endorsed the United Nations' "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," adopted by the General Assembly in Sep 2015, but in general, the agenda's ambitious goals have not been met in the kingdom. In particular, the goals for gender equality lag behind, and Saudi women's rights are still severely limited. In the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2020, Riyadh ranked 146th of 153 countries in overall gender equality, 148th in gender economic participation and opportunity, and 136th in political empowerment. And while a recent survey reveals that Saudi men are amenable to their wives entering the labor market, they are reluctant to voice openly this view for fear of social stigmatization given Saudi society's highly conservative perception of male-female relations in general, and women's role in the public space in particular.