Saudi Women - Fighting for Their Rights

 

Manal Al Sharif Driving in Saudi Arabia (with English subtitles)

In this Youtube video from May 2011, Manal Al Sharif defies Saudi Arabia law by driving through Khobar.  As a woman, it is illegal for her to drive in that country.  She needs a guardian, either a male relative/friend or a hired driver, to be a chauffeur.  Manal Al Sharif narrates the video, telling her audience why women should be allowed to drive.  Her arguments include the need to drive in an emergency, her inability to renew the license for her own car, and the inconvenience for wives when their husbands are away on business.  Manal was arrested for her crime and sentenced to ten lashes, but it was later revoked by King Abdullah.  He also granted women in his country the right to vote.

While many women are fighting for their rights in Saudi Arabia, others are resisting the calls for change and reform.  Eman Al Nafjan wrote in her December 2011 article "What Do Saudi Women Want?" from the Foreign Policy that some women question the responsibilities that would be asked of them once they were granted the right to drive.  She even discussed an incident where a Saudi Arabian woman worked with the ruling family "to strengthen the guardianship system."  While outsiders wonder how women could live without certain basic rights, Saudi Arabian woman question the actions of those outsiders, wondering how they could go places without a male protector or reveal their faces and other portions of their bodies to the world.

When this story come up in my search results, I remembered watching it on the news last year.  Until that time, I did not know that women in Saudi Arabia cannot legally drive.  I knew that that nation is one of the most conservative ones in the world, but driving is a privilege that I, along with many people in the United States, forget does not extend to people in other countries throughout the world.  After being able to drive for the past several years, I find it difficult to imagine not have that right.  I would not be able to perform the simplest of errands, like buying groceries, without the assistance of a male relative or friend.

I am glad that many women in Saudi Arabia are fighting for their rights and standing up to the government.  While a video of one woman driving may not seem like a big deal to people living in the West, Manal Al Sharif risked a lot to show her support and determination for just one of the many rights women in Saudi Arabia do not currently possess.  As citizens of the twenty-first century, I believe it is our duty to be aware of issues and other problems occurring throughout the world.  The tension between reformists and conservatives, especially in the Middle East, is a topic that is extremely important and relevant in today's world.

Jenny

Article -

Al Nafjan, E. (2011, December). What do Saudi women want? Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/11/28/what_do_saudi_women_want
Map - http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/sa.htm
Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sowNSH_W2r0

Other Related Articles -

• Henderson, S. (2011, September 26). All the king’s women. Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/09/26/all_the_kings_women
• Pavgi, K. (2011, September 29). Reprieve for Saudi woman sentenced to lashing for driving. Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/09/29/saudi_womans_sentenced_reprieved