Saudi Arabia Now Giving Driver’s Licenses to Women

On Monday, Saudi Arabia gave out driver’s licenses to ten women. The country’s ban on female drivers officially ends on June 24th.

The licenses were issued at the General Department of Traffic after the ten women went through a short driver’s test. The women already had licenses in other countries like the U.K., Lebanon, and Canada.

These latest actions represent a significant victory for Saudi women and activists, who have been fighting this law for some time now. The fight for these rights has also led many individuals to be detained, and even arrested for protesting. Some of them have been recently released, while others are still being prosecuted.

Among the women who are still arrested are Loujain al-Hathloul, Aziza al-Yousef and Eman al-Nafjan—three of the most outspoken and publicly known activists in their country. The Saudi government has labeled them as “foreign embassy agents,”that are attempting to disrupt the country’s reputation and tranquility. The activists’ arrests raised concern from protest groups; some thought that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud had changed his mind about lifting the ban.

The decision to lift the ban was made public in September of last year. It was announced in a Royal decree that was read publicly and televised. One of the explanations for the ban’s dropping was the fact that it had brought Saudi Arabia a negative global reputation and that is was potentially affecting their public relations.

Several officials and clerics have attempted to justify the ban, saying that male drivers would not know how to behave with women driving in the streets; and a few believe that women drivers would create promiscuity and deteriorate family values. A cleric even went as far as to say, with no evidence at all, that driving could affect women’s ovaries.  Grand Mufti Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, the country’s most important cleric, stated that prohibiting women from driving was “in the best interest of society.” The announcement of the ban’s lifting did come with backlash from Saudi citizens, arguing that it would increase the likelihood of epidemics and adultery.

Women being allowed to drive would also come with some specific regulations to help the reform ease into the country’s daily reality. Even so, Saudi ambassador in the U.S. Prince Khalid bin Salman stated that women could apply for driver’s licenses without having their husbands’ permission. That’s a big step for Saudi Arabia, especially considering that women are not allowed work, travel abroad, or undergo medical procedures without permission from their husbands.

Featured Image via: Flickr/Wajahat Mahmood