When Lulwah Abdul Rahman protested against her father's rejection of all would-be husbands because they were from outside her tribe, her life and career in Saudi Arabia were shattered. He locked her in the family home, revoked her right to work and beat her. When she filed a case to lift her father's guardianship, he consigned her to a mental institution to "discipline" her.
"The laws and the society confer absolute power on the father and brother, regardless of how cruel or incompetent they are,'' says Ms Abdul Rahman, 28, who has fled her home and currently lives in a shelter for abused women. "No laws are codified, so your destiny depends on the judge's mood and background. He could send me home, even knowing that I might be killed.''
