Yes, finally a campaign has begun to challenge the men – only driving rules in the ultra-conservative Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the beginning of June. We all hope that this latest high profile campaign will make sure women are seen in the driver seat of a motor vehicle (although it will take same time as these things normally do).
It is seen of course as revolt against the existing law forbid Saudi women to drive a car in their Kingdom.
Saudi women’s rights activist Wajeha al-Huwaidar said on the day of protest, “We want women from today to begin exercising their rights and today on the roads is just the beginning of a long campaign”.
Not an easy job as public protest is extremely rare in Saudi Arabia. The largest women’s rights protest appears to have been held in 1990 when 47 women were arrested after driving through the streets of the capital city of Riyadh. Not a great deal seems to have changed since then nothing is impossible!
Unfortunately, women are still not allowed to vote in the Kingdom and have to obtain permission from a male relative to go to work or to travel. Therefore, ‘allowing’ women to drive might be viewed too extreme by the ultra-traditionalists.
It is not easy but women like Manal al-Sherif who started the campaign by posting a video of herself driving to You Tube. But later she had to sign an agreement letter that she would not drive again after being detained for ten days by the authorities. But still Saudi women who urge for freedom to drive, tweeted that they had done the same and some even uploaded their driving videos onto the YouTube channel but many stopped short of showing their faces, such is the fear of retribution.
Not surprisingly some Saudi men threatened to crack the windscreens of cars if any women they saw driving according Saudi women’s Change.org campaign. Some of the women have been specifically named and denounced as ‘traitors’ in the media. Some ultra-tradionalist men have said they will use physical violence against women who join the campaign, this comment fortunately has incensed more than 100,000 people in more than 150 countries to join the campaign in support of the women drivers.
Hilary Clinton of the USA along with others lent her support and welcomed the efforts of Saudi women to fight for their right to drive.
But I think overall it is the Saudi women ultimately as the real people on the ground that will make the change.
If the rights are not given than it must be taken. Manal al-Sherif more power to you and your fellow women’s elbow.
Semra Eren-Nijhar 