Women in Saudi Arabia are banding together in protest against anti-driving laws, despite threats by the government that any acts of resistance will be met with stiff penalties.
To protest the kingdom’s laws that ban them from driving, women in the country are showing their opposition by engaging in that very act — on Saturday, women from throughout Saudi Arabia will get in their cars and drive.
The campaign, which has garnered more than 17,000 signatures of support, represents backlash among women in a country notorious for its oppression. The government has declared the act of driving by a female as illegal, and is warning that any woman caught driving on Saturday — or at any time — will be arrested.
Anyone caught supporting the women’s freedom of transportation will also be in danger of punishment, according to Interior Ministry Spokesman Mansour al-Turki.
According to the BBC, al-Turki issued a statement this week, claiming punishments were on their way. He did not, however, describe what the punishments would entail.
The issue of females not being allowed behind the wheel is nothing new for Saudi Arabia. However, the recent opposition to the rule is gaining momentum. Women and their supporters in favor of more rights are following in the footsteps of women who initiated a similar campaign in 1990, one that resulted in the arrest of female drivers.
Just two years ago, an activist was imprisoned for more than a week for posting a video on YouTube that encouraged Saudi women to drive. That didn’t stop women and male activists from moving ahead with the current campaign, again leading the way in a campaign that may be gaining enough momentum to create real change.
This time around, three female members of the kingdom’s advisory council, made up of 30 women, are showing their support for the campaign, calling for laws prohibiting female drivers to be overturned, according to The Guardian.
However, that doesn’t mean the established leaders in Saudi Arabia are jumping at the opportunity to overturn the law. A recent protest of more than 150 clerics and religious scholars took place outside the King’s palace in Jeddah. Protesters blamed the influence of westernization for the campaign, as many women are receiving support via social media from those around the world.
Its Facebook page, Support #Women2Drive has generated nearly 18,000 likes. The issue is also present on Twitter, users showing their support by using the hashtag #Women2Drive.
In the past, the kingdom has defended the law, claiming that driving would impact a woman’s ovaries and affect her ability to give birth. That argument has been dismissed by the scientific community as having no merit whatsoever.