saudi independence

This week, on February 25, Saudi women marked the 600th day since the launch of the #StopEnslavingSaudiWomen campaign - a movement that aims to end the male guardianship system in the kingdom. 

600 days later, the movement has only grown to become stronger as more women have joined the battle against the system of patriarchy. 

The movement has been accompanied by other drives, one of which is the #IAmMyOwnGuardian campaign. 

Together, the campaigns have seen hundreds of women demand an end to the kingdom's male guardianship system, which treats male consent as a pre-requisite governing many aspects of women's lives.

Here's a list of the different "male guardians that have authority over a Saudi woman"

"He can make her life hell. A hell she can never escape without his consent"

The fight persists

600 days on ... and women are still fighting for change. They are only growing more defiant and more outspoken as time passes.

These tweets prove the fight for Saudi women's rights is not going anywhere anytime soon.

"We're still fighting for our rights, independence and freedom"

"600 days of courage and strength"

"600 days of strength, steadfastness as we fight for our independence by removing the shackles of slavery

600 days of claiming women rights 

600 days of courage and strength"

"We will rise up"

References to "Les Miserables" were right on point

"We were the people who weren't in the papers"

"Change is coming"

"We demand freedom"

Some Saudi men showed their support

Support from other women came about

All the way from Melbourne

Saudi Arabia's male guardianship system

The kingdom's male guardianship system - which subjects women to full dependence on their fathers, brothers, husbands, or sometimes even sons, in nearly all aspects of public life - has received criticism over the years as it is a hindrance to women's progress. 

"Women here are trapped, they can't do anything. It depends on your guardian, if he is OK, and if he is a good man he'll let you work, or let you study, which is a basic right," a Saudi woman once said in an interview with CNN.

Having said that, the kingdom has amended a number of laws in recent years in an effort to empower women, including opening municipal elections to female candidates and making women's verbal consent to marriage mandatory. 

In September 2017, Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on women driving, ending the long-standing policy that has been heavily criticized since 1990. 

A month later, the kingdom announced women will be able to attend sporting events in stadiums starting 2018, an announcement that joins a series of groundbreaking reforms addressing the status of women in the kingdom.

But... the fight continues.