Earlier this year, a powerful image was circulated in Saudi Arabia. A woman with one black eye stared bleakly out. Underneath her niqabed face was written the simple phrase in Arabic: “And what is hidden is greater”, a saying that translates as “the tip of the iceberg”. This kicked off “No More Abuse”, a campaign to highlight and tackle domestic violence in the country. There was some scepticism about the drive, backed by an official charity, but it seems that it has paid off, culminating in an historic move this week as Saudi Arabia’s cabinet passed a legal ban on domestic violence and other forms of abuse against women for the first time in the kingdom’s history. The legislation makes sexual violence in the home and the workplace a punishable crime. Moreover, it provides for shelter for victims of abuse and places the onus on law enforcement agencies to follow up on reports of abuse. It is backed up by a jail sentence and hefty fines. While this is an encouraging move, there are too many ways in which it can be thwarted. Such legislation is only fruitful if backed up by the right attitudes. The law does not exist…