WRITTEN QUESTION E-1029/02.

Submission: To the Commission and the Council

03 April 2002

Subject: Tragic death of 14 girls in Saudi Arabia.

According to reports by the newspaper “Arab News” and Amnesty International, 14 girls lost their lives and dozens of others were injured in a fire at their school in Mecca on March 11, 2002, when the religious police (Mutaw’uin) prevented them from escaping the fire because they were not wearing headscarves and there were no male relatives present to escort them. Additionally, the religious police prohibited rescue teams from entering the school, as men are not allowed to mix with women. This tragic event serves as a stark example of the tragic consequences for human life resulting from gender-based discrimination. I emphasize that Saudi Arabia is a participant in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Does the Commission intend to pressure the Saudi Arabian government to conduct an urgent investigation into these tragic deaths and subsequently bring the perpetrators to justice in order to prevent similar incidents in the future? Does the Commission plan to intervene with the said government to ensure that the policies and practices that devalue women’s lives and perpetuate discrimination against women are stopped?