Portland State Magazine Fall 2018

19 THE ARDENT , complex and often joyous women in alumna Tasneem Alsultan’s photographs tell the story of what it is like to be a woman in Saudi Arabia. “Saudi women are strong because we have so many obstacles,” says Alsultan MA ’08, an award-winning photographer, who, in addition to creating gallery-wor thy photos, is a sought after news photographer. (Look for her photos in The New York Times .) While women in Saudi Arabia have made great gains in the past four years—the right to vote, run for office and drive a car—most women still live under the guardianship system. In order to marry, divorce, travel or par ticipate in a host of other activities, they must have permission from a male guardian, usually a father, husband or brother. In addition, laws keep Saudi women from mixing freely with men and require them to wear a full-length black abaya in public.