Saudi Women Defy Driving Ban In Best Possible Way
Saudi women are defying the country’s driving ban in the best possible way — posting photos and videos of their dastardly deeds on social media.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women aren’t allowed to drive, but debate about the ban is increasingly spreading from social networks to public forums.
There isn’t actually a law that bans women from driving in the kingdom, reports Reuters. However, they are not allowed to apply for a driving license and have been arrested in the past on charges of public order or political protest if they are caught in the act.
The photos and videos of Saudi women defying their driving ban began to flood social media on Thursday, two days after members of the influential Shoura Council called for an end to the ban.
One woman tweeted a photo of herself as she was stopped by police for driving, while another showed a woman driving in her traditional veil, which only showed her eyes, while other motorists gave her a thumbs-up sign. MSN News notes that the social media action is apparently stage one of a two-part campaign to change attitudes about women driving.
According to an unnamed female activist, the second part will ask women with international driving licenses to get behind the wheel on October 26. She added, “To drive with a license should not be against the law.” She added that some Saudis, including several senior officials, have become more open to the idea of lifting the driving ban.
However, some supporters of the ban still exist, particularly in the more conservative realm. Supporters of the Saudi driving ban say allowing a woman behind the wheel will let the sexes mix more freely in public, and therefore threaten public morality. However, activists say the ban also means families have to employ a driver, making it more difficult for a woman to work or do other basic daily tasks.
A female member of the Shoura Council was the one to suggest and end to the Saudi driving ban.
[Image via ShutterStock]
