Saudi Arabia poll: absence of laws a cause of sexual harassment

The first official opinion poll of its kind on sexual harassment has revealed that 80 percent of Saudis believe the non-existence of a written law is the reason for the increase of harassment incidents in the country.

The opinion poll was conducted by King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue on a sample of 922 Saudi nationals representing the Kingdom’s 13 provinces.

Telephone interviews were conducted. About 85.5 percent of the sample believed girls who use makeup and show off their looks are more likely to be a victim of sexual harassment.

About 76.6 percent said long and complicated judicial procedures delay the course of justice.

This article was first published in The Saudi Gazette on Jan. 6, 2014.