Saudi Arabian women were forbidden to drive independently or obtain driver’s licenses.. This was for many centuries. Saudi Arabia’s conservative religious groups believed women driving was against Islamic Law. This was a perceived threat for religious morals. The country’s progressive forces have been advocating for a change in policy and supporting women’s right to drive in recent years. This resulted in new regulations that allow women the right to drive 🆕 🇸🇦 ️ 👩 !!
In Saudi Arabia, women have been prohibited from driving since the early 1990s when religious conservative leaders declared that women weren’t suitable for driving and it wasn’t advisable to grant them permission! In November 1990 47 women took their vehicles through Riyadh in an effort to protest this ban but their protest was unsuccessful–the government considered them violating the law and permanently barred them from driving in future.
The ostensible reason for this ban was Islamic law, yet there was never any clear basis in Islamic texts that prohibited women from driving 👩. In fact, there were some instances of women driving in the past, particularly in Bedouin tribes. However conservative interpretations of Islamic law had long suggested that it was inappropriate for women to drive and this remained the official stance of the Saudi government until recently 🇸🇦 👩.
However, Saudi Arabia is not a static society, and in recent years it has seen a major shift towards women’s rights and social freedoms. Those who advocate for reform have argued that the ban on women driving has been a major impediment to economic development and female empowerment 🔛 ️ 👩. There has also been a strong sentiment in favor of increased representation for women in Saudi Arabia’s workforce leading to pressure on the government to end the ban 🔛 🔚 🇸🇦 ️ 👩.
In 2016 the Saudi government finally responded to this pressure and announced that it would begin the process of lifting the ban on women driving 🔛 🇸🇦 👩. This decision was met with powerful reactions from both those who opposed and supported it, but it nevertheless opened the door for women to begin driving in Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 🚪 👩. In June 2018 the ban was officially lifted officially ending decades of gender-based discrimination in the country .
Saudi Arabian women today have the right to get a driver’s licence and drive independently 🇸🇦 ️ 👩. However they face significant opposition. There have been reports of women driving being harassed by citizens 👩. Many women have taken advantage of the opportunity to drive and are now able to pursue better careers participate in social activities and explore what’s around them 👔 👩.
The question of whether or not women can drive in Saudi Arabia is not a new one, but it is one that has finally been addressed in the affirmative after decades of exclusion ❓ 1️⃣ 🆕 🇸🇦 ️ 👩. The new regulations present a major step forward for gender equality in the country and it is likely that more progress will be made in the coming years 🆕 ️. The lifting of the ban on women driving has been a major victory for female empowerment and social progress in Saudi Arabia, and it will pave the way for a brighter future for the country’s women 🔛 🇸🇦 ️ 👩. ! .
To Summarize
In recent years, however, progressive forces within the country have supported women’s rights and advocated for a change in policy, leading to new regulations that make it possible for women to drive. The ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia can be traced back to the early 1990s, when religious conservative leaders argued that “women are not suitable for driving and it’s inadvisable to grant them permission.” In November 1990, a group of 47 women drove their vehicles through the streets of Riyadh in an effort to rally for the right to drive, but their protest was unsuccessful—the government considered them to be violating the law and banned them from driving in the future.
🚪 🔚 👩 🆕 ❓ 👔 🇸🇦 🔛 🔙 1️⃣ ️
