Michelle Obama opts to forgo headscarf during Saudi Arabia visit

Michelle Obama has drawn attention to the severe restrictions placed on women in Saudi Arabia by not wearing a headscarf during a visit to the country after the death of King Abdullah.

The US first lady’s decision to not cover her hair when she and President Obama met Abdullah’s successor, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, on Tuesday caused a stir on social media, prompting the hashtag #michelle_obama_notveiled.

Her statement brought plenty of positive responses on Twitter:

However, others were less impressed:

Other than not covering her head, Obama dressed conservatively in black pants and a long jacket, which is often chosen by western women visiting the kingdom though forbidden for Saudi women. Some members of the all-male Saudi delegation shook her hand as they greeted the Obamas, while others simply nodded to her as they passed by.

Obama’s decision to skip the headscarf illustrates the restraints placed on women living in Saudi Arabia, who are required to wear a headscarf and loose black robes in public. Most women in Saudi Arabia cover their hair and face with a niqab.

Saudi Arabia imposes many restrictions on women through the strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law known as Wahhabism. Genders are strictly segregated.

Women are banned from driving, although there have been campaigns in recent years to lift that ban. Guardianship laws require women to get permission from a male relative to travel, marry, enrol in higher education or undergo certain surgical procedures.

However, women will be able to vote and run for office for the first time in local council elections this year, although under the country’s absolute monarchy these bodies’ powers are very limited.

Earlier on Tuesday before flying to the Middle East, President Obama challenged India’s record on religious tolerance and women’s rights in a parting speech to students in Delhi that contrasted with the at-times saccharin feel of a state visit designed to highlight the closeness of the two countries.

Though careful to acknowledge inequality in the US, the president devoted a substantial part of his speech to a lecture on the importance of empowering women in society and addressed a recent spate of sexual attacks in the emerging south Asian power.

“We know from experience that nations are more successful when their women are successful,” said Obama. “These are facts. So if nations really want to succeed in today’s global economy, they can’t simply ignore the talents of half of their people.”