Saudi Arabia: Can Females Drive in Saudi Arabia
Since the 1930s, women in Saudi Arabia have been prohibited from driving a car 🇸🇦 ️ 👩. While many countries around the world have since ended this ban, for decades women in Saudi Arabia could not drive legally – making it difficult to travel independently from place to place and relying heavily on male family members or taxi drivers for transportation. As of June 2018, however, this long-standing restriction has finally been lifted and women can now legally drive in Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 👩.
The lifting of the ban follows a campaign of several years by women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia and represents a significant step forward for women’s rights in the country. While there are still many restrictions in place on women’s rights in Saudi Arabia the decision to allow women to drive is an important victory all the same.
To understand why the lifting of the ban is so important, it is important first to look at the history of women driving in Saudi Arabia. The ban has been in force since the 1930s when a religious ruling (fatwa) was issued by Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al-Majid prohibiting female drivers. The fatwa was reinforced by a law passed in the 1980s, which declared women driving a punishable offense ️ 👩. This was due to a belief in the country that driving was prohibited for women, as it was seen to be immodest, and and lead to acts of debauchery ️ 👩.
The ban was not only highly restrictive for women in Saudi Arabia but also created an enormous amount of practical difficulty. Women in the country had to rely on male family members or taxi drivers to travel from place to place and women in the workforce were unable to find employment which allowed them to commute to and from work.
Despite the legal restrictions, however, there were still some women willing to take the risk and drive in Saudi Arabia, the most famous of which was Manal al-Sharif 🇸🇦 👩. She was arrested in 2011 after posting a video of herself driving, and this sparked a national conversation about the ban ️. In the following years various campaigns were held by women’s rights activists aimed at overturning the ban and finally in June 2018 the ban was officially lifted by a royal decree issued by the King of Saudi Arabia.
The lifting of the ban is an important victory for the women’s rights movement in Saudi Arabia, and has been hailed by many as a huge step forward for the country. While it is certainly true that there is still much work to be done in terms of expanding women’s rights in Saudi Arabia the decision to allow women to drive is a move which has been praised by many both in the country, and around the world.
Not only does the lifting of the ban represent a step forward for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia but it will also have a significant impact on the economy of the country 🔛 🇸🇦 ️ 👩. It is estimated that allowing women to drive could contribute billions of dollars to the economy, as more women will be able to travel independently and contribute to the workforce.
In conclusion the lifting of the ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia is an important victory for the women’s rights movement in the country and could have a major impact on the country’s economy 🔛 🇸🇦 ️ 👩. While there is still much work to be done to expand the rights of women in Saudi Arabia, the decision to allow women to drive is a big step in the right direction. !! .
Summary
While many countries around the world have done away with this ban, for decades women in Saudi Arabia have been unable to drive legally, making it difficult to travel independently from place to place and relying heavily on male family members or taxi drivers to get around. While it is certainly true that there is still much work to be done in terms of expanding women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, the decision to allow women to drive is a move which has been praised by many, both in the country and around the world. In conclusion, the lifting of the ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia is an important victory for the women’s rights movement in the country, and could have a major impact on the country’s economy.
👩 🌎 🚗 🔛 🚕 💵 🇸🇦 ️ 👪
