Saudi women will now receive a text if their husbands divorce them

A new regulation recently passed by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Justice makes it mandatory for women to receive divorce notices via text messages. 

Saudi lawyer Nisreen al-Ghamdi said the implementation of the order took effect on Sunday. Before this, men in the kingdom were able to divorce their wives without even telling them.

Speaking to Bloomberg, the attorney explained that "the new measure ensures women get their rights when they're divorced," especially when it comes to alimony. 

"It also ensures that any powers of attorney issued before the divorce are not misused," she added. 

A copy of a ministry circular sent out earlier this week stated that it comes in line with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 blueprint for economic and social reforms.

"An excellent move. The most important thing is for her to be registered in the Absher program so that she actually receives the text."

"What's right is for her to be in court rather than get a text message. A woman is an integral part of a divorce case."

"A move that should've been made tens of years ago. Progress is incredibly slow here, especially when it comes to women's rights."

"Salam sister, we wanted to inform you that you've been divorced. Your husband came here a while ago and divorced you. We thought we should let you know, we've advanced a little. But your presence isn't important, thank you." 

In a statement to StepFeed, Saudi women's rights activist Nouf said that even though the recently passed ruling isn't perfect, it's still a step in the right direction. 

"This order isn't perfect and in no way does it mean that Saudi women were granted their full rights when it comes to divorce but it's a step forward. Before this rule went to effect, a man could very easily divorce his wife and not even tell her. These 'secret divorces' were common and men would hugely benefit from them," she said. 

"For one, they wouldn't have to pay any proper alimony or grant a woman her monetary rights. For two, they'd be able to prevent her from fighting for custody in case she needs to. And for three, they'd be stopping her from living her life and marrying someone else if that's what she wanted after a divorce," she added. 

Nouf also explained that though several strides in women's rights have been made in recent months, there's still a long way to go before Saudi women win all their rights. 

"Yes, there are so many things we can do now, including driving. However, before the male guardianship system is reformed or ended, we cannot say we're completely free," she added.