Less than three months after Saudi Arabia said it would permit women to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games, it has reportedly reneged on their agreement, barring women from entering the Games.The move will also threaten the country's overall participation in the Olympics, with the International Olympic Committee saying that all countries must field female athletes as part of their teams.
The decision has been roundly criticized by human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), which said in a press release that the move is counter to the Olympic Charter, which says, "The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit."
HRW said it shouldn't be too surprising, however, as state-run schools offer no physical education for girls and only men belong to sports clubs in the country.
"In fact, government restrictions on women essentially bar them from sports," a new report says, HRW reported.