Football Match Brings (Swedish) Women One Step Forward

After initially banning women from attending, Saudi authorities are now allowing female Swedish football fans into the stadium in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to watch the football match between Saudi Arabia and Sweden tonight. Women are normally forbidden to watch the games because Saudi Arabia “follows a strict interpretation of Islam,” which prohibits women from mixing with men in public places. While this step is rather small (no Saudi women are allowed to attend and the Swedish women have to sit in a separate section), it is still a step.

Sources:
Aljazeera.net, “Female Footie Fans Win Saudi Concession.”
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C083A07B-4A2C-47F8-A7A2-B233A030D165.htm

BBC News Online, “Saudis Allow Women to Watch Match.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4623572.stm