“No Woman, No Drive”. That is the name of the video by a group of male Saudi comedians mocking the driving ban for women in their country. The video has gone viral and reached almost 3.5 million views over the past week. In theory, there is no specific law in the country that states women are not allowed behind the wheel, but women are forbidden from applying for driving licenses, which effectively provides the same end result.
On October 26th, women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia organized a protest encouraging women to drive and have videos and photos taken of them to upload to the campaign's website.
It is rumored that agents of the Ministry of Interior had previously contacted leaders of the campaign to warn them from carrying out the operation and that its fulfillment would entail grave consequences, but most of the participants were not discouraged. Amidst roadblocks and disapproval from authorities, in a courageous act of civil disobedience, the women drove through the streets of Riyadh and Jeddah. Some more “liberal” husbands, brothers, and sons who are more keen on the idea of women driving were also seen teaching their mothers or wives how to master the art of driving. Some say that this is a sign that the public mood is changing; the campaign is not made up of just women anymore, as it also includes men.
In our era, protests that have taken place all over the world, and we are in a moment in history where TIME magazine recently awarded the prize to "The Protester", this particular campaign and cause could seem terribly tame in comparison.
Except it is not: Saudi Arabia is the only country that has put a ban on women driving, and any form of political protest is considered illegal in the country, highlighting the courage of these women. The last time women in Saudi Arabia rebelled against this ban in 1990, those who participated in the campaign were arrested, placed under a travel ban, and lost their jobs. More recently, in 2011, women’s rights activist Manal Al-Sharif spent 9 days in jail after uploading a video to the internet of herself driving.
This time, of the 40 women that drove around in their cars, a few drove without encountering any incidents, while 16 of them were fined, some were detained and others were made to pledge, with their male guardians, to never drive again.
Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy, and the country’s royal family holds very close ties with the Wahabbi religious school, a strict institution that holds major influence both domestic and foreign affairs in Saudi Arabia. This means that, while King Abdullah has carefully and reluctantly proceeded with more flexible laws to give women better employment opportunities, the clergy has been extremely reluctant about an increase in freedoms for women, consequently preventing any change from taking place. In fact, at the beginning of the week, a group of 100 conservative clerics met at the royal court in Riyadh to denounce the campaign as a conspiracy by women and threat to the country, and that this protest would have grave consequences on the relationships between women and men.
Although the official day of the campaign itself was on the 26th of October, some women have said that they will continue to drive regularly in order to continue fighting for the cause. Others, on the other hand, hold the suspicion that, after their participation in the protest, they are being watched and tailed by the Ministry of Interior, and some are starting to fear for their lives.
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Photo Friday: Saudi Women Take to the Road
November 1, 2013
“No Woman, No Drive”. That is the name of the video by a group of male Saudi comedians mocking the driving ban for women in their country. The video has gone viral and reached almost 3.5 million views over the past week. In theory, there is no specific law in the country that states women are not allowed behind the wheel, but women are forbidden from applying for driving licenses, which effectively provides the same end result.
On October 26th, women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia organized a protest encouraging women to drive and have videos and photos taken of them to upload to the campaign's website.
It is rumored that agents of the Ministry of Interior had previously contacted leaders of the campaign to warn them from carrying out the operation and that its fulfillment would entail grave consequences, but most of the participants were not discouraged. Amidst roadblocks and disapproval from authorities, in a courageous act of civil disobedience, the women drove through the streets of Riyadh and Jeddah. Some more “liberal” husbands, brothers, and sons who are more keen on the idea of women driving were also seen teaching their mothers or wives how to master the art of driving. Some say that this is a sign that the public mood is changing; the campaign is not made up of just women anymore, as it also includes men.
In our era, protests that have taken place all over the world, and we are in a moment in history where TIME magazine recently awarded the prize to "The Protester", this particular campaign and cause could seem terribly tame in comparison.
Except it is not: Saudi Arabia is the only country that has put a ban on women driving, and any form of political protest is considered illegal in the country, highlighting the courage of these women. The last time women in Saudi Arabia rebelled against this ban in 1990, those who participated in the campaign were arrested, placed under a travel ban, and lost their jobs. More recently, in 2011, women’s rights activist Manal Al-Sharif spent 9 days in jail after uploading a video to the internet of herself driving.
This time, of the 40 women that drove around in their cars, a few drove without encountering any incidents, while 16 of them were fined, some were detained and others were made to pledge, with their male guardians, to never drive again.
Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy, and the country’s royal family holds very close ties with the Wahabbi religious school, a strict institution that holds major influence both domestic and foreign affairs in Saudi Arabia. This means that, while King Abdullah has carefully and reluctantly proceeded with more flexible laws to give women better employment opportunities, the clergy has been extremely reluctant about an increase in freedoms for women, consequently preventing any change from taking place. In fact, at the beginning of the week, a group of 100 conservative clerics met at the royal court in Riyadh to denounce the campaign as a conspiracy by women and threat to the country, and that this protest would have grave consequences on the relationships between women and men.
Although the official day of the campaign itself was on the 26th of October, some women have said that they will continue to drive regularly in order to continue fighting for the cause. Others, on the other hand, hold the suspicion that, after their participation in the protest, they are being watched and tailed by the Ministry of Interior, and some are starting to fear for their lives.
