AcknowledgmentsFarida Deif, Middle East and North Africa researcher for the Women’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, authored this report based on research conducted in November and December 2006. LaShawn R. Jefferson, then executive director of the Women’s Rights Division; Janet Walsh, acting director of the Women’s Rights Division; Sarah Leah Whitson, director of the Middle East and North Africa Division; Joe Stork, Washington Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division; Christoph Wilcke, researcher for Saudi Arabia; Clarisa Bencomo, Middle East and North Africa researcher in the Children’s Rights Division; Aisling Reidy, senior legal advisor; and Ian Gorvin, senior program officer, reviewed the report. We are especially grateful for the critical insights and advice on Islamic jurisprudence provided by Prof. Ahmad Ahmad, assistant professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Prof. Mohammad Fadel, assistant professor of Law at the University of Toronto. Lama Fakih, intern with the Women’s Rights Division, provided valuable research assistance. Rachel Jacobson, Emily Allen, Tarek Radwan, Andrea Holley, Grace Choi, Fitzroy Hepkins, and José Martinez provided production assistance. The Women’s Rights Division gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the many individuals in Saudi Arabia who were instrumental in our efforts to investigate human rights violations stemming from male guardianship and sex segregation. Most of all, Human Rights Watch wishes to thank all the courageous Saudi women who were willing to speak to us of their experiences, without whom this report would not have been possible. We acknowledge with gratitude the financial support of Arcadia, the Frog Crossing Foundation, the Moriah Fund, the Oak Foundation, the Streisand Foundation, the Silverleaf Foundation, the Banky-LaRocque Foundation, the Schooner Foundation, the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, the Chicago Foundation for Women. We also gratefully acknowledge the ongoing support of the members of the Advisory Committee of the Women’s Rights Division. |