Assessing the degree of gender stratification in Saudi Arabia compared to other Middle Eastern countries requires the inclusion of fundamental Islamic principles in the interpretation of their moral code. Alsaleh (2012) finds that lower rates of female education and higher levels of gender restrictions for women are more prevalent in Middle Eastern countries that apply Islamic doctrine. Saudi Arabia exemplifies Islamic moral and gender-specific prohibitions through the lack of laws that “address violence against women” (Alsaleh 2012:125), emphasizing that violent crimes against women are rarely reported for fear of retaliation, and it is forbidden to discuss it publicly. Bans against unaccompanied travel and freedom of assembly prevent Saudi women from exercising their civil liberties, such as voting, and the ability to gather with other women. Gender inequality in employment is evident, as Saudi women make up only 5% of the national workforce (Purdy 2011), with more than half of employed Saudi women holding a university degree compared to only 16% of Saudi men (Alsaleh 2012). . A review of the reforms and consideration of gender equality in Saudi Arabia is available through the publication of an English-language Saudi newspaper and Internet feed called Arab News (Lichter 2009). The Arab News focuses on Saudi women's social reforms, including driving probation, domestic violence, and educational inequalities (Lichter 2009). The furor over Saudi driving restrictions sparked several online initiatives, resulting in a driving protest in 2011 in which 40 Saudi women were arrested. This action initiated a Saudi moral definition of the term “licentiousness,” which describes willful disobedience of leadership. When the issue of driving restrictions was considered, the Saudi government countered that the problem is not with women driving on the street, the problem exists with the provision that women cannot acquire driving licenses as they would have to take off their veil from the face. for the license photo. Showing a woman's face would be a grave sin against Islamic law. Instead of reconsidering restrictions on authorized photos, the Saudi government is targeting female surrogacy through the insidious “protections” of Islamic fundamentalism (Lichter 2009). Saudi reform reflects challenges to perceived inequalities affecting women, but never to interpretations and distortions of Islamic law. The basis of the Saudi reform is that followers of Islam do not require them “to cover their faces or lead a segregated life” (Lichter 2009:284).