Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you to the witnesses for being here today, and thank you for giving voices to those whose voices are marginalized.
I want to begin with Mr. Cooper. I'm looking at stats on Saudi Arabia. In 2015, 52% of university graduates were female. That number climbs a bit higher for those with a postgraduate degree. The GDP growth is around 4% in some years, such as 2015-16, and 50% of Saudis are below the age of 25.
In 2016, Saudi Arabia launched a Saudi vision. Their vision is that by 2030 their dependency on oil will be reduced and their economy diversified with renewable energy.
All of these statistics show that it's a relatively progressive country, but we see a big hindrance to women's advancement. I know that you talked about the male guardianship.
We see so many graduates and many youth, but do we see many of the men in Saudi Arabia pushing for more advancements and rights for women, or is that being hindered because of this guardianship? Is it hindered because it's taboo to speak out for women's rights?