Saudia Arabia To Allow Women To Drive

[Machado 963]

 

Quote

Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's historic decision to allow women to drive won plaudits internationally and inside the conservative kingdom on Wednesday, as euphoria mixed with disbelief among activists who long fought the ban.

King Salman's decree, which takes effect next June, is part of an ambitious reform push that runs the risk of a backlash from religious hardliners. Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world to ban women driving, and it was seen globally as a symbol of repression in the Gulf kingdom.

 

US President Donald Trump welcomed the decision as "a positive step toward promoting the rights and opportunities of women in Saudi Arabia".

British Prime Minister Theresa May hailed it as an "important step towards gender equality".

 

Saudi Arabia will use the "preparatory period" until June to expand licensing facilities and develop the infrastructure to accommodate millions of new motorists, state media said.

Conservative clerics in Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy ruled according to Islamic sharia law, have long opposed lifting the ban, arguing it would lead to promiscuity.

One of them even claimed that driving harmed women's ovaries.

 

The announcement on Tuesday follows decades of resistance from female activists, many of whom were jailed for flouting the ban.

"A glorious day. Can't hold back my tears," tweeted Latifah Alshaalan, a member of the Shura Council, which advises the cabinet.

"Congratulations to the women of my homeland."

Activist Manal al-Sharif, who led the 2011 "Women2Drive" protest movement, tweeted: "Today, the last country on earth to allow women to drive... we did it."

- 'A new era' -

 

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said: "It is a testimony to the bravery of women activists who have been campaigning for years that... Saudi Arabia has finally relented and decided to permit women to drive."

Saudi Arabia has some of the world's tightest restrictions on women.

Under the country's guardianship system, a male family member -- normally the father, husband or brother -- must grant permission for a woman's study, travel and other activities.

It was unclear whether women would require their guardian's permission to apply for driving licences.

 

After Tuesday's announcement, the hashtags "I am my own guardian" and "Saudi Women Can Drive" gained traction on social media, while many openly lampooned conservatives who long defended the ban.

One Saudi woman tweeted a picture of three women in a convertible going shopping, with the message: "Us soon".

The policy could socially liberate women -- heavily reliant on foreign drivers and ride-sharing apps -- and also boost the economy at a time of low oil prices by increasing their participation in the workforce, analysts say.

"Putting women behind the wheel is the most effective way to announce to the world -- and to Saudis -- that the kingdom is entering a new era," Kristin Diwan, of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, told AFP.

"The reign of puritanical Islam is over."

- 'Biggest PR win' -

There was some opposition online, however, with some men criticising the decision on Twitter under the slogan "the people refuse women driving".

"The Saudi people and especially the young people are not ready for this phenomenon and it will bring a lot of misfortune," one tweeted.

But most who used the negative hashtag were women mocking men opposed to them driving.

 

The announcement follows a dazzling gender-mixed celebration of Saudi National Day at the weekend, the first of its kind, which aimed to spotlight reforms.

Men and women danced in the streets to drums and electronic music, in scenes that were a stunning novelty in a country known for its tight gender segregation.

Women were also allowed into a sports stadium -- previously a male-only arena -- to watch a concert, a move that chimes with the Vision 2030 plan for social and economic reform.

With more than half the country aged under 25, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king's son and the architect of the reforms, is seen as catering to the aspirations of youths.

"Allowing women to drive is the biggest PR win that Saudi Arabia -- and Prince Mohammed -- could have in a single swoop," said Jane Kinninmont, of London-based think tank Chatham House.

Already viewed as the de facto ruler controlling all the major levers of government, Prince Mohammed, 32, is seen as stamping out internal dissent before any formal transfer of power from his 81-year-old father.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/saudi-arabia-allow-women-drive-historic-decision-194314173.html

[nudge 5,221]

So progressive.

[Machado 963]

2 minutes ago, nudge said:

So progressive.

Hey... credit where it's due. They went from stone age to bronze age overnight 

[nudge 5,221]

Just now, Machado said:

Hey... credit where it's due. They went from stone age to bronze age overnight 

Nah, I'm pretty sure they're still stoning people 

 

[Machado 963]

1 minute ago, nudge said:

Nah, I'm pretty sure they're still stoning people 

One step at a time...

[Bluewolf 2,880]

Really positive stuff... 

All them blokes moaning about women driving... wait until they make the next sweeping change. 'allowing women to have an opinion' then they really will have something to moan about... 

[RandoEFC 3,507]

Just now, Bluewolf said:

Really positive stuff... 

All them blokes moaning about women driving... wait until they make the next sweeping change. 'allowing women to have an opinion' then they really will have something to moan about... 

Ain't that right 

[SirBalon 2,606]

So they've entered the 19th Century...  Getting there!  Only 117 years to go. 

If you stand back for a moment, the headline sounds absolutely ridiculous. But this is what we have, it's for real!  IT'S TRUE!

[Panflute 370]

Look how proud that representative at the UN was when he announced it and even started applauding for himself.

What a joke of a country.

[Fairy In Boots 507]

[bozziovai 195]

On 9/30/2017 at 10:46 PM, SirBalon said:

So they've entered the 19th Century...  Getting there!  Only 117 years to go. 

If you stand back for a moment, the headline sounds absolutely ridiculous. But this is what we have, it's for real!  IT'S TRUE!

that's actually near the truth.

i've arrived here in saudi way back 2009 and it was like i rode on a time machine and traveled to the past.    i've come from the philippines ( a place that's not truly developed ) but still, i was shocked to see how backwards this place is.   Only in Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah are industrialized but the rest..  YIKES.

What's backward here ain't just the infrastructures but the mentality of the people as well.

i'll just present it in a very famous joke here  ---

in a second hand store, a man is selling brains.    brains from all races;  british, pinoys, americans, canadians and saudi.     the brains of the brits, pinoys, americans and canadians are so so cheap while the Saudi is very very expensive -- WHY ??? ...   coz it has very very LOW MILEAGE !!      

 

we have a line here in arabic .. SAUDI MOK MAFI.  SAWI AKOL. NOM. DUGDUG BAS  ===  Saudi has no brains, all they do is eat, sleep and fack.

[Stan 6,674]

they'll soon regret this choice  

[nudge 5,221]

58 minutes ago, Stan said:

they'll soon regret this choice  

Woman + Asian really is the worst combination when it comes to driving  

[Machado 963]

I suspect their peripheral vision is going to somewhat impeded by the sacks they wear.

[bozziovai 195]

On 9/30/2017 at 10:38 PM, Bluewolf said:

Really positive stuff... 

All them blokes moaning about women driving... wait until they make the next sweeping change. 'allowing women to have an opinion' then they really will have something to moan about... 

actually it has started already.   there are women seating in the shoura court right now.   and they have just decreed that women can give fatwas.     soon, a law that will make sexual harassment a criminal act and would be punishable with 500k Riyals fine and a year to 5 years imprisonment.   

it's late, very very late for these changes to take place, but at least they're doing it now ........

these changes are the brainchild of the Crown Prince ....

[Berserker 1,096]

13 minutes ago, bozziovai said:

actually it has started already.   there are women seating in the shoura court right now.   and they have just decreed that women can give fatwas.     soon, a law that will make sexual harassment a criminal act and would be punishable with 500k Riyals fine and a year to 5 years imprisonment.   

it's late, very very late for these changes to take place, but at least they're doing it now ........

these changes are the brainchild of the Crown Prince ....

You are Saudi or what?

[bozziovai 195]

5 minutes ago, Berserker said:

You are Saudi or what?

oooopss.  sorry.    a filipino working in saudi since 2009.      due to my work, i learn a lot of things from my saudi patients.

[Berserker 1,096]

Just now, bozziovai said:

oooopss.  sorry.    a filipino working in saudi since 2009.      due to my work, i learn a lot of things from my saudi patients.

Hehe, what do they think about this type of changes?

[Harvsky 2,450]

What does your master think about the changes? 

[bozziovai 195]

2 minutes ago, Berserker said:

Hehe, what do they think about this type of changes?

as an expat.  actually, it's good.   slowly they have started to use their brains.

keeping the topic on the road (pun) .... saudi road is hell on earth.     i don't know if any country can top this.

1.   they use their cellfones EVERYTIME/ALL THE TIME they are driving

2.  have you ever seen triple or even quadruple parking ?

3.  if you signal for right/left turn, the fackers will overtake on your right/left

4.  if you're backing your vehicle, the fackers won't even stop to give way, but instead, they would squeeze their way thru.

5.  example, a 5 lane road, you're in the middle lane and both sides are free and someone is following you, they would blink their headlights and tailgate you, they want you to move over.

6. in an intersection, the fackers would always go way beyond the line just to be first.

7.  in a 5 lane road and there's an exit on the right side, the fackers would always come from the extreme left lane and go all the way to the right cutting thru the four lanes.

[bozziovai 195]

9 minutes ago, HoneyNUFC said:

What does your master think about the changes? 

oh, my boss.   we'll, he's an educated man.   A well traveled man.   He is happy with this.

[nudge 5,221]

8 minutes ago, bozziovai said:

as an expat.  actually, it's good.   slowly they have started to use their brains.

keeping the topic on the road (pun) .... saudi road is hell on earth.     i don't know if any country can top this.

1.   they use their cellfones EVERYTIME/ALL THE TIME they are driving

2.  have you ever seen triple or even quadruple parking ?

3.  if you signal for right/left turn, the fackers will overtake on your right/left

4.  if you're backing your vehicle, the fackers won't even stop to give way, but instead, they would squeeze their way thru.

5.  example, a 5 lane road, you're in the middle lane and both sides are free and someone is following you, they would blink their headlights and tailgate you, they want you to move over.

6. in an intersection, the fackers would always go way beyond the line just to be first.

7.  in a 5 lane road and there's an exit on the right side, the fackers would always come from the extreme left lane and go all the way to the right cutting thru the four lanes.

Sounds like any bigger city in South East Asia, to be honest. Plus we also have cows randomly wandering on the road as well  

[Stan 6,674]

1 minute ago, nudge said:

Sounds like any bigger city in South East Asia, to be honest. Plus we also have cows randomly wandering on the road as well  

didn't know you lived in India.

[bozziovai 195]

Just now, nudge said:

Sounds like any bigger city in South East Asia, to be honest. Plus we also have cows randomly wandering on the road as well  

high five !!!!   here we have camels.     

[nudge 5,221]

1 minute ago, Stan said:

didn't know you lived in India.

Hey at least we don't worship them here 

[nudge 5,221]

3 minutes ago, bozziovai said:

high five !!!!   here we have camels.     

Cows (or camels haha) are the least of the issue though, at least they are faster and more predictable than the drivers of big Lexuses or pickup trucks driving in the middle of the road taking at least two lanes at a speed of 15km/h while on their mobiles, with a swarm of mopeds overtaking everyone both from left and right while a bunch of other cars and mopeds are coming right into you because they are on the wrong side of the road going against traffic as they decide to take a shortcut, not to mention the ones signaling right and turning left. Traffic lights are of course only a decoration to make the road look prettier and have no significance otherwise  

[bozziovai 195]

6 minutes ago, nudge said:

Cows (or camels haha) are the least of the issue though, at least they are faster and more predictable than the drivers of big Lexuses or pickup trucks driving in the middle of the road taking at least two lanes at a speed of 15km/h while on their mobiles, with a swarm of mopeds overtaking everyone both from left and right while a bunch of other cars and mopeds are coming right into you because they are on the wrong side of the road going against traffic as they decide to take a shortcut, not to mention the ones signaling right and turning left. Traffic lights are of course only a decoration to make the road look prettier and have no significance otherwise  

exactly.   

here, i've seen a lot of changes in the roads .......... the once two-way roads became one-way.   coz these fackers never give way.     i remember when i was only a month or so, we were stuck in traffic like an hour or so, i thought that there was some major accident but it turns out that these fackers are pirating the lanes.

[nudge 5,221]

10 minutes ago, bozziovai said:

exactly.   

here, i've seen a lot of changes in the roads .......... the once two-way roads became one-way.   coz these fackers never give way.     i remember when i was only a month or so, we were stuck in traffic like an hour or so, i thought that there was some major accident but it turns out that these fackers are pirating the lanes.

How bad is it in the Philippines? I know traffic is mad in Manila, I suspect it's pretty much similar in Cebu or Davao as well, but smaller cities are probably better?

[bozziovai 195]

11 hours ago, nudge said:

How bad is it in the Philippines? I know traffic is mad in Manila, I suspect it's pretty much similar in Cebu or Davao as well, but smaller cities are probably better?

 

i hail from cebu, in terms of drivers, they're a little bit disciplined.    but the main problem now is the road sizes are the same while the influx of vehicles are heavy.   so, now, in my city,  from the normal 30 minutes to go from point A to point B, it now has become 2 hours