5 unexpected facts about Saudi women

The cliche and stereotypical narrative surrounding Saudi women is always the same: they are oppressed and cannot drive.

While it is true that the kingdom is far from being the champion of women's rights, things are changing, albeit slowly. But most importantly, Saudi women are so much more than victims of an oppressive society. 

Here are 5 incredible facts about Saudi women that defy the cliche stereotypes.

Women in Saudi Arabia hold a large chunk of the kingdom's wealth. In 2002, it was estimated that some $185 billion of cash deposits were owned by Saudi women and some 40 percent of the kingdom's private wealth is in women's hands.

Since 2013, at least 30 of the kingdom's 150 Shura Council members have been women, or 20 percent. Although the body is not democratically elected, with the members appointed by the king, the legislative body has a higher percentage of women than many other countries, including the US.

Currently, the American Congress, which is democratically elected, is only 19.4 percent women. The bicameral legislative body has significantly more members however, with 105 women out of 541 total representatives.

Regionally, Lebanon's 128 member parliament only has four women, or 3.1 percent. Egypt's parliament has 89 women (14 of whom were appointed and 75 of whom won elections). But this is out of 596 total seats, making it just 15 percent women.

Nearly 52 percent of university students pursuing bachelor's degrees in the kingdom are women, according to statistics issued by the Ministry of Education in 2015. 

Thousands of Saudi women are also scattered around the world in more than 50 countries pursuing higher education, including master's and PhD degrees.

Although the kingdom's guardianship laws don't always make it easy for women to launch their own businesses, female entrepreneurs are definitely on the rise in the kingdom.

In 2010, the fastest growing startup in the kingdom was Rumman, a media company established by a 19-year-old Saudi woman in 2007.

Through art, activism and social media campaigns, Saudi women have been vocal in their calls for reforms and increased legal rights.

The viral music video "Hwages", translating to "concerns", is a prime example of Saudi women taking a creative approach to criticize the kingdom's conservative rules. 

At the same time, Saudi women are sick of the Western media constantly portraying them as victims. In January, CNN published an article suggesting that Saudi women living abroad were afraid to return to the kingdom ... and Saudi women responded.

Using the hashtag #I_Choose_To_Stay, Saudi women began pointing out their immense national pride, critiquing CNN for not representing their side of the story accurately. Many pointed out that they choose to stay in the kingdom so they can fight to make a difference for future generations.