Saudi Women No Longer Need Male Permission for Childbirth Procedures - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Pregnant women in Saudi Arabia are no longer obliged to get permission from their male guardians to undergo vital childbirth procedures including C-sections, The National reported.

Previous regulations required women in Saudi Arabia to obtain a signed permission from their male guardians over a wide range of childbirth procedures but now they are allowed to decide independently how they want to deliver, according to the outlet.

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From now on, they can also request information on their pregnancy status and expected due date without permission from their male guardians, the newspaper reported.

The decision comes as part of an easing of rules on gender separation in Saudi Arabia. Last year, Saudi women were officially allowed to get behind the wheel and attend football matches.