Celebrating Manal al-Sharif: The Saudi who fought for women's right to drive
As Saudi Arabia lifts the much criticised ban on women driving, we take a look at Manal al Sharif who has been advocating for women's right to drive in the conservative kingdom. Photo: Manal al-Sharif blogpost
(Web Desk) - On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced that women would now be allowed to drive, bringing an end to a much criticised ban in the kingdom that barred women from doing so.
Saudi state television announced that King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud had issued a decree authorising the issuance of drivers licences for women in the kingdom. According to Reuters, the decree will take effect in June 2018.
Saudi Arabia allows women to drive
— (@KSAMOFA) September 26, 2017
Manal al-Sharif was one of the first Saudi women who spoke up against the banning of female drivers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In May 2011, she filmed herself while driving a car in Saudi Arabia, to protest against the prohibition of women to drive.
On June 17, she posted the video on YouTube calling on women to participate in a driving campaign. Al-Sharif was arrested the second time she drove on the streets. She was imprisoned for nine days.
Al-Sharif, an information technology consultant, has been a vocal rights activist focusing on guardianship annulment and family protection as well as driving rights.
In her blog post on Tuesday that came in right after the historic announcement she wrote: “Today, Sep 26th, 2017, marks the date we end one of the most draconian laws in modern history. Women’s rights activists will still continue to observe how this law is implemented and monitored and will continue campaigning to abolish the male guardianship imposed on them.
We ask for nothing short of full equality for women.
We pay respect to the women and men who have fought in this struggle. It’s just the start to end long-standing unjust laws have always considered Saudi women minors who are not trusted to drive their own destiny.
The rain begins with a single drop.”
#Women2Drive Press Release
It had been 21 years since the first attempt to break the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia in 1990. These women faced swift repercussions and few attempts at protests have been made since that time. But everything changed on June 17, 2011, when we started #Women2Drive movement.
On this historic day when women have been allowed to drive cars in the conservative kingdom, we take a look at a TEDtalk given by her back in the days when she was still struggling for women’s right to drive.
