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Saudi Arabia must fulfil its promise to let women drive
The ban on women driving is part of a wider pattern of discrimination and broken promises by the Saudi government
Nadya Khalife
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 16 June 2011 11.00 BS
The Saudi government has made many promises to women. Six years ago, while denying their right to participate in the kingdom's first municipal elections, it promised they would be allowed to do so on the next occasion. Polling is due later this year but women are still denied the right to register as voters. In 2009, during Saudi Arabia's human rights review at the UN, it also promised to revise the "male guardianship" system that limits women's freedom of movement. Two years later, this freedom is yet to be secured. And since at least 2005, King Abdullah and other senior figures have said they would support rescinding the ban on women driving. This promise, too, has so far not been kept.
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The ban on women driving is part of a wider pattern of discrimination and broken promises by the Saudi government
Nadya Khalife
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 16 June 2011 11.00 BS
The Saudi government has made many promises to women. Six years ago, while denying their right to participate in the kingdom's first municipal elections, it promised they would be allowed to do so on the next occasion. Polling is due later this year but women are still denied the right to register as voters. In 2009, during Saudi Arabia's human rights review at the UN, it also promised to revise the "male guardianship" system that limits women's freedom of movement. Two years later, this freedom is yet to be secured. And since at least 2005, King Abdullah and other senior figures have said they would support rescinding the ban on women driving. This promise, too, has so far not been kept.
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