Rema Jawdat, a risk analyst at the Ministry of Economy and Planning in Saudi Arabia, has 12 years of driving experience in Lebanon, Switzerland, and the United States. But she could not drive in Saudi Arabia. That will change now. Saudi women have been issued driving licences before the lifting of the ban on women driving on June 24.
For the first time in more than 50 years, women will be able to drive legally in Saudi Arabia. “Driving, to me, represents having a choice; the choice of independent movement, now we have that option and that’s important,” Jawdat said, speaking to Khaleej Times.
Western media and activists have faced criticism for ignoring women’s struggles in the Arab world. A few months ago, when many in the media were advocating niqab for Muslim women in the west, Iranian women were facing brutal crackdown for protesting against compulsory head covering.
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