How do women and minorities in Saudi Arabia really experience participation and opportunities today?

Significant progress, but structural discrimination remains

Saudi Arabia finds itself in a Phase of changewhich is driven by the Vision 2030 and leads to Remarkable improvements for women, while religious and ethnic minorities are still subject to considerable restrictions.

Women: Dramatic change with ongoing restrictions

Successes in the labor market

The Labor force participation of women has increased between 2017 and 2024 more than doubled. While it was still at 17.4% in 2017, it rose to 35.8% in 2024^1. Saudi Arabia has thus already significantly exceeded the original Vision 2030 target of 30%^3.

Particularly impressive is the ascent in Management positions: 44% of middle and senior management positions are now occupied by women^2. In the defense industry, a traditionally male sector, there are already 22% of employees female^4.

The Unemployment among women has fallen from 20.5% to 15.4% within six months^3. For youth unemployment (15-24 years) it is 22.2%, compared to 10.6% for young men^5.

Educational successes

Women now dominate the University landscape: More female students than male students for the first time in 2020 enrolled at Saudi universities^6. In 2014, students were already studying 37% of all women between the ages of 18 and 24^7.

Particularly noteworthy is the success in MINT subjects: 41.6% of science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates are women - the fourth highest in the world according to OECD data^8.

Entrepreneurial activities

The Startup ecosystem is increasingly shaped by women. 95% of Saudi women have a very high opinion of the profession of entrepreneur, according to the Kingdom's Women's Report 2021/22^9. The World Bank attests that Saudi Arabia has created all the necessary conditions for opening up the labor market^10.

Persistent structural discrimination

The guardianship system continues to exist

Despite all progress, the male guardianship system the central point of criticism. The 2022 adopted Civil Status Act continues to codify discrimination against women in marriage, divorce and custody matters^11.

Women still need the Authorization of a male guardian for the marriage^13. Marital rape is not punished and divorces are often not accepted by courts^15.

Repression against activists

Paradoxically Women's rights activists systematically persecuted. Loujain al-Hathloul, who fought for the right to drive, was arrested and tortured in 2018 of all years - the year the driving ban was lifted^11. In August 2022, the doctoral student Salma al-Shehab was appointed 34 years imprisonment convicted simply because she had retweeted human rights calls^16.

Gender-related wage differences

Although labor laws prohibit gender discrimination in salaries, Women continue to earn less than men. The difference varies between 4% in the public sector and 36% in private companies^3.

International recognition with critical restrictions

Global Gender Gap Index

Saudi Arabia has Global Gender Gap Index from rank 147 (2021) to Rank 126 (2024) improved^17. In the MENA region, it lies with 64,3% in fourth place, behind the UAE (72.4%)^18.

The evaluation shows clear discrepancies: While Education and health reach almost parity with 0.99 points each, the Political participation at only 0.077 points^19.

UN controversy

The appointment of Saudi Arabia as Chair of the UN Commission on the Status of Women 2025 caused international outrage^20. Amnesty International described this as a "shock" and referred to the country's "abysmal record" on women's rights^12.

Religious and ethnic minorities: Systematic exclusion

Shiite Muslims

The Shiite minority (about 10-16% of the population) suffers from systematic discrimination^22. They live mainly in the oil-rich Eastern Province, but are treated by state clerics as "Heretics" and "apostates" designated^24.

State clergy use derogatory terms such as "rafidha" (denier) and stigmatize Shiite practices^24. The education system propagates anti-Shia prejudices and Shias are practically excluded from higher government positions^25.

Human Rights Watch documented fierce religious tensions after confrontations between Shiite pilgrims and the religious police in Medina in 2009^25. Private Shiite prayer rooms were closed and religious leaders imprisoned.

Christian minority

The public practice of Christianity is completely prohibited^26. Of the approx. 2.2 million Christians In Saudi Arabia, most of the foreign migrant workers are^27.

The possession of religious symbols such as crosses or Bibles is prohibited under penalty. Churches or other non-Islamic places of worship may not be erected^26. Apostasy (conversion from Islam) is theoretically threatened with the death penalty.

In the World Persecution Index 2024 Saudi Arabia stands 13th place of the countries where Christians are most persecuted^27. Saudi Arabian converts must keep their faith completely secret.

LGBTQ+ people

Homosexuality is a social taboo and is punished with imprisonment, corporal punishment and up to Death penalty punished^28. Saudi Arabia is one of the six countries in the world that impose the death penalty for homosexual acts^29.

In 2007, two men were each sentenced to 7,000 lashes convicted of homosexual intercourse^28. In April 2019, five men were executed in this context^30.

LGBT communities cannot exist due to their illegality. An Islamic religious police force monitors social life and forces LGBTQ+ people into social invisibility.

Migrant workers

About 4 million people work as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, exclusively migrant workers^31. The Kafala system makes them extremely dependent on their employers and encourages systematic racism.

Amnesty International documented 2025 severe exploitation Kenyan domestic worker: they work more than 16 hours a day, have no day off and are not allowed to leave the house^31. Their passports are confiscated and they often receive no wages.

The average wage is around 0.45 Euro per houras overtime is not paid^32. Practically all of the women interviewed reported that during their stay not a single day off to have had.

Healthcare system: selective exclusion

The healthcare system shows Systematic discrimination socially disadvantaged people. Particularly affected are the Shiite minority, foreign guest workers from Asian countries, people infected with HIV, homosexuals and the physically and mentally disabled^33.

The Social stigmatization of these groups leads to a lack of medical care. There is no open discourse on marginalized groups, although the implemented "National Dialogue" could bring about improvements here^33.

Signs of hope and contradictions

Positive developments

The Fortune Most Powerful Women International Summit will be held in Riyadh for the first time in 2025, demonstrating international recognition of progress on women's rights^34. Saudi Arabian women now own 45% of all patents in the country.

The First Saudi Arabian female astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi worked on the International Space Station ISS in 2023 and became a symbol of change^3. Such success stories create role models for young women.

Structural contradictions

The Modernization is authoritarian from above, without social discourse. While women fly into space, women's rights activists spend decades in prison^16.

The Vision 2030 describes women as a "great asset" that she wants to "empower"^35. Critics see this primarily as economic motives instead of a genuine commitment to equality.

Conclusion: Between progress and repression

Saudi Arabia is going through a Unprecedented transformation in terms of women's rights, which is reflected in dramatic increases in employment, educational success and entrepreneurial activity. These advances are real and measurableeven if they are overshadowed by authoritarian structures and persistent discrimination.

For Religious and ethnic minorities the situation remains critical. Shiites, Christians, LGBTQ+ people and migrant workers experience systematic exclusion and persecution, which has not improved despite social modernization.

The change follows a instrumental logicWomen are promoted because the country needs their labor for Vision 2030. However, real social change would also include the rights of all other minorities - a step that Saudi Arabia has not yet dared to take.

The international community faces the dilemma of recognizing the undeniable progress made in women's rights without overlooking the ongoing human rights violations. Saudi Arabia's path shows that even authoritarian systems can bring about dramatic social change - but only in areas that serve their strategic goals.

Supplementary assessment from a Gradido perspective

The analysis provides a valuable basis for the Gradido country project - even beyond the topic of gender equality.

Women: Between remarkable progress and persistent discrimination

• Working life & education:
  The employment rate for women has more than doubled in just a few years and now stands at around 36 %. Women are now also achieving remarkable figures in management positions and STEM education worldwide. Women are shaping the start-up scene, and these developments are also being noticed internationally.

• Structural boundaries:
  Despite this dynamic, the male guardianship system and numerous legal restrictions persist. Wage differences, structural barriers and the persecution of female activists still stand in the way of equal rights.

Minorities: Persistent exclusion and discrimination

• Religious minorities (especially Shiites and Christians) experience considerable discrimination and sometimes open repression. The public practice of religion is de facto not permitted - except in Sunni Islam.

• LGBTQ+ people are affected by social and state repression, including the death penalty.

• Migrant workers (especially domestic workers) are subject to massive dependency and are often exploited; protection mechanisms and rights are largely lacking.

Structural contradictions & international assessment

The enormous push towards modernization (e.g. in women's rights, education, start-ups) is strongly motivated by economic and political goals and is taking place without far-reaching social liberalization. The successes are real, but not free of ambivalence: While economic emancipation and role models are being created, equality remains patchy in many areas of life and political freedoms are severely restricted.

Hope and impetus for Gradido

• Picking up on the positive:
  Gradido can pick up where progress has already borne fruit: in the promotion of livelihood security, education, social participation and lived equality.

• Empathy and recognition:
  It is important to acknowledge existing reforms, but also to have the courage to point out remaining assumptions and open wounds.

• Building bridges:
  Bridges between tradition and new beginnings, between economic modernization and genuine social inclusion, are the key - Gradido can provide impetus for the participation and appreciation of all people on the basis of the common good and universal human dignity.

This research shows impressively that a lot is happening and much remains to be done. The ambivalence between rapid modernization and ongoing control mechanisms also challenges our appreciative attention and creativity.