Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world to impose a ban on women’s driving, but that is all set to change this weekend writes Geraldine Herbert
What is new for Saudi Women? Saudi Arabia announced in September that it would allow women to drive, ending a longstanding policy that has become a global symbol of the oppression of women in the ultraconservative kingdom. From June 24th women will be allowed to get a driver’s license without permission of a legal guardian. Ironically however while they will not need the permission of a man to obtain a driver’s license, they will still need it to buy a car.
When was the ban introduced? The driving ban goes back to 1957. Since then if women did try to drive, police would often detain them until a male relative came to sign a pledge that she would not drive again. For the last 28 years however women have collectively campaigned against it. On November 6 1990, 47 women drove in Riyadh, the capital of the kingdom. They were arrested, detained for a day, and had their passports confiscated. After the protest, several of them lost their jobs
Why is the ban being lifted? This change is said to be down to the current king’s son Mohammed bin Salman. He has been charged with forging a new path for Saudi Arabia and he plans to reform and transform the society by 2030. Key to this is the need to increase the number of women in the workforce and to do that they need to be able to drive to work.
Is everyone happy about the ban being lifted? It seems not and since May 15, ten prominent women’s rights activists have been arrested
What are the challenges facing women? Allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia represents a major achievement in social freedom and mobility for millions of women in the kingdom however driving in Saudi Arabia is not without its risks. A car accident happens every minute on average in Saudi Arabia, or more than 460,000 crashes per year. In 2016, the death toll was 9,000. It is hoped that the Saudi government launches complementary policy changes that address driving habits and make the roads safer for all drivers.
What now for the women of Saudi Arabia? Saudi Arabia has some of the world’s tightest restrictions on women and follows a particularly strict brand of Islamic law known as ‘Wahhabism’ that is known for its gender segregation rules. Women have to adhere to strict dress codes while the country’s guardianship system, gives a woman’s husband, son or father control over almost all aspects of her life. As long as the guardian system is in place women are effectively rendered legal minors.
Nine things Saudi Women still can’t do without permission from men?
1. Apply for a passport
2. Travel outside of the country
3. Study abroad
4. Get married
5. Open a bank account
6. Start certain businesses
7. Get elective surgery
8. Leave prison
9. Sign a lease
Geraldine Herbert
20th June, 2018
