Samar Badawi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samar Badawi
Badawi at the 2012 International Women of Courage Awards
Born	Samar bint Muhammad Badawi (1981-06-28) 28 June 1981 (age 44)
Nationality	Saudi
Known for	Legal conflict with father over male guardianship, women's suffrage lawsuit, women to drive movement
Spouse(s)	Waleed Abulkhair ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2015)​
Children	1 son, 1 daughter
Relatives	Raif Badawi (brother) Ensaf Haidar (sister-in-law)

Samar Badawi (born 28 June 1981) is a brave human rights activist from Saudi Arabia. She is known for standing up for women's rights in her country. She took legal action to challenge rules that limited women's freedom.

Samar had a difficult time with her father. He tried to stop her from getting married. She also faced legal issues because of a system where women needed a male guardian's permission for many things. Samar was even put in prison for a short time in 2010 because of these disagreements. Many people around the world supported her. She was released later that year, and an uncle became her new guardian.

Samar also fought for women's right to vote in local elections. She tried to register to vote in the 2011 municipal elections, even though women were not allowed to at the time. She also joined the movement that allowed women to drive cars. In 2012, she received an award from the United States for her important work. In 2018, she was arrested again, which caused a big disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Canada. She was released from prison in 2021.

Fighting for Rights

Samar Badawi faced challenges from her father for many years. She reported that she was treated badly by him. In 2008, she went to a women's shelter for safety. Her father tried to use the male guardianship system to control her.

Samar wanted to get married, but her father would not give his permission. This led Samar to file a lawsuit against him. She asked the court to remove her father as her guardian. This was a very brave step for her to take.

On 4 April 2010, Samar was arrested when she went to court for her case. She was held in Briman Prison. Many people, both in Saudi Arabia and other countries, spoke out for her release. They believed her imprisonment was unfair.

In July 2010, a court ruled in Samar's favor regarding her marriage. The governor of Makkah Province also tried to help Samar and her father reach an agreement. On 25 October 2010, Samar was released from prison. Her uncle became her new male guardian, which meant she no longer had to live under her father's control.

In September 2014, Samar spoke at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. She talked about the challenges faced by human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia.

Women's Right to Vote

Samar Badawi also took legal action to help women gain the right to vote. She filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. This was because voter registration centers would not allow her to sign up for the 2011 municipal elections.

Samar argued that there was no law preventing women from voting or running as candidates. She said that refusing her registration was against human rights rules. She asked the court to let her register as a voter and a candidate.

On 27 April 2011, the court agreed to hear her case. However, the court later decided that her case was "too early" to be heard. Even so, the United States Department of State recognized Samar Badawi as the first person to file a lawsuit for women's voting rights in Saudi Arabia.

Driving Campaign for Women

Samar Badawi was an active part of the movement that fought for women's right to drive cars. In 2011 and 2012, she regularly drove in Jeddah. She also helped other women who faced issues with the police or courts for driving.

Samar believed there was no legal reason to put women on trial for driving. She said that women in Saudi Arabia were missing out on many basic rights. She felt that giving women some political rights was not enough.

In February 2012, Samar filed a lawsuit against the General Directorate of Traffic. She did this because they refused her application for a driver's license. This was similar to a lawsuit filed by another activist, Manal al-Sharif.

International Recognition

On 8 March 2012, Samar Badawi received a special award. The United States Department of State gave her the International Women of Courage Award. This award recognized her brave efforts in filing lawsuits for her right to marry and for women's voting rights. The award also honored her for inspiring other women to stand up for their rights.

Travel Restrictions

In September 2014, Samar Badawi attended a meeting in Geneva. She spoke about human rights in Saudi Arabia and the arrest of her husband, Waleed Abulkhair. She also met with important officials from the United Nations and the United States.

Samar said she received a warning from a Saudi official. The official told her to stop her human rights work, or action would be taken against her. She returned to Saudi Arabia, but her passport was taken by local authorities.

On 2 December 2014, Samar tried to leave Saudi Arabia for a trip to Belgium. However, airport staff told her that the Ministry of Interior had placed a travel ban on her. This meant she was not allowed to leave the country.

Arrests and Release

Samar Badawi was arrested again in January 2016. She was taken to a police station with her young daughter. She was then moved to Dhahban Central Prison, where her brother, Raif Badawi, was also held. Human rights groups like Amnesty International spoke out against her arrest. They called it a serious step backward for human rights in Saudi Arabia.

In July 2018, Samar Badawi was arrested once more, along with another activist, Nassima al-Sadah. She was held in Dhahban Central Prison again. Canada's government asked for her immediate release. This led to a big disagreement between Canada and Saudi Arabia.

Samar Badawi was finally released from prison on 27 June 2021. She had completed her sentence.

See also

In Spanish: Samar Badawi para niños

• Women's rights in Saudi Arabia
• 2011 Saudi Arabian protests
• Islamic Feminism