Liberation, patriarchal practices and women's use of violence in the domestic setting in Saudi Arabia

• Main Author: Khadhar, Fowzah
• Published: Nottingham Trent University 2018
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.765559

Both women and men suffer from domestic violence around the world. While domestic violence against women has received considerable research attention, domestic violence against men has been under-studied, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The limited data available from the National Family Safety Registry of Saudi Arabia and the National Society for Human Rights suggest that female perpetrated domestic violence has been increasing in Saudi Arabia. Existing studies further indicate that the Saudi women, especially those with higher levels of education, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the prevalence of the guardianship system in Saudi Arabia. This research therefore aims to understand the reasons for why women commit violence against men in Saudi Arabia and to study the role of patriarchy (guardianship, polygamy) and female emancipation (for education and employment) in the rise of the female-perpetrated domestic violence in Saudi Arabia. In so doing, the dissertation also examines the explanatory value of the existing theoretical accounts (liberation and self-defence theories). The dissertation employs a qualitative research method, using the data obtained through the semi-structured interviews conducted at the Riyadh Prison for Women (Saudi Arabia) with 30 women who were incarcerated for committing violence against their guardians. A thematic analysis is used to analyse the obtained data. It is shown that participants in this study committed their offence due to a number of reasons such as frustrations with living under the guardian system, prevention from education and employment, abuse and mistreatment, and self-defence. Furthermore, the study find that liberation theory can be used to explain some aspects of participant's use of violence, however, the term 'liberation' itself needs to be understood differently in the Saudi context.