The Last Country That Did Not Allow Women to Drive

The King of Saudi Arabia issued a permit for women to drive, set to take effect in the summer of next year. Prior to this decree, Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world that openly prohibited women from driving cars. The Guardian reports that this news was announced on Saudi state television and simultaneously at an event in Washington, D.C. It was emphasized at the event that this law had caused a 'blemish' on Saudi Arabia's image among countries worldwide, and there is now hope that this change will improve Saudi Arabia's international relations. Although there was no written law prohibiting women from driving in Saudi Arabia, officials in the country did not issue driving licenses to women. However, this situation is now changing at the king's directive. The royal decree states that a committee will be formed to examine how to implement this change, which has six months to put the royal order into effect. This government decree received significant attention on social media. One user on Twitter wrote: 'Saudi Arabia will never be the same again. Every rain starts with a drop.' Another user stated, 'It was about time.' The U.S. State Department also congratulated this new decree, calling it 'a step in the right direction.' In recent years, many campaigns inside and outside Saudi Arabia have been launched to change this law. Women's rights activists believed that if a woman in Saudi Arabia does not have a male companion (father, brother, husband, or son), it is as if she is imprisoned at home because she cannot drive alone. In 2011, forty Saudi women drove in various cities across the country. This movement received widespread attention, and Manal al-Sharif, the founder of this movement, was imprisoned for 24 hours for posting a video of herself driving. Another woman from this group was sentenced to ten lashes, which was later not carried out at the king's order. However, all these women were made to pledge that they would not drive again. In another protest in 2013, sixty women drove in various cities as a protest against a cleric's statement that 'science has proven that driving harms women's ovaries.' This movement faced backlash from hardline figures. Ultimately, the Saudi Ministry of Interior announced that any campaign or gathering regarding women's driving would be considered 'disturbing public peace,' a crime that would be dealt with decisively. The Guardian noted that regardless of international pressures on Saudi Arabia, officials in the country understand that with falling oil prices, women could be an important factor in the country's economy. Lifting the ban on women driving could be the first step towards welcoming them into social and economic activities in Saudi Arabia.