Women in Saudi Arabia will have the chance to join the army for the first time in the nation’s history if they meet a list of 12 requirements for the role.
Thursday is the deadline for Saudi women to apply for the positions, which are not combat-related but do involve working in security, the BBC reported. The soldiers will be stationed in Riyadh, Mecca, al-Qassim, and Medina.
The requirements include being Saudi citizens, being aged 25 to 35, having a high school diploma, living in the same province as the job’s location with a male guardian, and being at least 5 feet tall with a "good weight to height ratio, as confirmed by a medical checkup," Newsweek reported.
No former government employees are to be considered and no one who has previously served in the military, Newsweek reported. Applicants with criminal records are banned, as well as those married to non-Saudis.
The move is part of an attempt by King Salman to modernize Saudi Arabia and enhance women’s rights. Women were permitted to attend soccer matches last month and can begin to drive in June.
Despite Salman’s promises to do so, he has not yet gotten rid of the male guardianship system, which states that adult women need a guardian to travel, marry, and at times to work or gain access to healthcare.
Women must also stay separate from unmarried men and wear full robes called abayas in public with headscarves for those who are Muslim.
In January, 140 jobs as air traffic controllers were opened to Saudi women, and more than 107,000 applications poured in, Newsweek reported.
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