About 60 women across Saudi Arabia drove cars on Oct 26 in defiance of a driving ban in an attempt to change their status. The campaign’s message is that driving should be a woman’s choice. The struggle is rooted in the kingdom’s hard-line interpretation of Islamic Law. Although there is no official ban on women’s driving the authorities do not issue them licenses. The women reported that those who drove during the day of protest had driver’s licenses issued by other countries.
According to Wikipedia “Saudi Arabia is unique in being the only country in the world where women are forbidden to drive motor vehicles”… “the campaign’s website was blocked within Saudi Arabia and Sheikh Saleh al-Lohaidan, one of Saudi Arabia’s top clerics, said women who drive risk damaging their ovaries and bearing children with clinical problems. Interior ministry employees had also contacted leaders of the campaign individually to tell them not to drive. However, despite this discouragement and a heavy police presence, as of Sunday 27 October Saudi activists had posted 12 films on YouTube said to be of women driving on Saturday, and said some other women had also driven but without recording their exploits on video or in photographs. Also a YouTube film made by male Saudi comedians went viral on Saturday to support the women’s driving campaign, parodying the Bob Marley song No Woman No Cry as No Woman No Drive.”
In spite of the ban “Saudi Arabia has recently made several advances on women’s rights in other areas. In September 2011, King Abdullah decreed that women would be able to stand as candidates and vote in municipal elections, next due in 2015, and women could become members of the Shura Council. In January 2013, he appointed 30 women among 150 Shura Council members. In September 2013, authorities passed a law that for the first time criminalized domestic violence.” Human Rights Watch
