That was when a US congressional delegation, including four female members of Congress, visited. When they discovered there were no facilities for the gals, Rep. Peter Welch, Democrat of Vermont, said he and other male members offered to stake out a men’s room for the women. But he said Saudi officials would not allow that! “It was a pretty astonishing experience for me and for them, too, I think,” Welch said. “These are strong, independent women and they’re used to being treated equally and treating others equally, and you’re in a society where there’s strict segregation and it’s pretty stunning.”
