American Woman, Divorced From Saudi Husband, Is Trapped in Saudi Arabia
BEIRUT, Lebanon At first, Saudi Arabia was an adventure for Bethany Vierra.
An American from Washington State, she taught at a womens university, started a company, married a Saudi businessman and gave birth to a curly-haired daughter, Zaina.
But since the marriage went sour and she sought a divorce, she has been trapped. Because of the kingdoms so-called guardianship laws, which give men great power over women, she is unable to use her bank account, leave the country, travel with her daughter or seek legal help, according to her cousin, Nicole Carroll.
She is completely stuck, Ms. Carroll, 37, said by phone from Dublin, Calif. She is out of options.
Ms. Vierra, 31, is now divorced, but her ex-husband let her residency expire, meaning she has lost access to her bank account and cannot get authorization to leave the country, Ms. Carroll said. Their 4-year-old daughter cannot travel without her fathers permission, meaning that even if Ms. Vierra finds a way to leave the kingdom, her child may have to stay behind.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-american-guardianship.html?module=inline
I hope she gets out but why would any woman from the west want to be part of that country?