What does the women's driving protest mean for Saudi Arabia?
|
Friday, 6 June 2011
|12:00 - 12:30 GMT
Women across the deeply conservative country are being urged to drive through the streets today to defy a decades old driving ban. An online campaign has called on women who hold international driving licences to start driving today. The "Women2Drive" campaign has used Facebook and Twitter to encourage women to drive as part of their normal daily activities rather than converge in one place.
This blog outlines to women what they should and shouldn't do today
It's not the first time women have tried to get the driving ban lifted. But last month a woman called Manal al-Sharif filmed herself driving a car through the streets of Saudi Arabia and uploaded it to youtube, she was later arrested, but the movement began once more..
This article compares the movement to that of Rosa Park.
"women are not permitted to share elevators with men. Nor are they allowed to walk in the streets, drive cars, or leave the country without the permission of a male guardian."
"Fatima, a young woman from Mecca, sent me an e-mail at the height of the Egyptian revolution: "Forget about the cries for freedom; I can't even give birth without being accompanied to hospital by a mihrim," or male guardian. She went on, "And the [religious police] have been given the right to humiliate us in public."
MFQahtani tweets
My wife, Maha, and I have just come from a 45-minute drive, she was the driver through Riyadh streets. #saudi #women2drive #WomenRights
angrywhitekid tweets
In 1999, sat next to a woman on a plane who participated in the 1990 driving protest. Told me they burnt her house down after. #women2drive
We'll be speaking to people in Saudi Arabia, not only about the defiance of the driving ban, but what this now means for Saudi society. As the Arab spring continues around Saudi Arabia, with women and men standing side by side protesting, is this the opportunity for women to gain independence?
We'll be speaking to people in Saudi Arabia and hear from Hiba in Dharan who is a professional woman who says she will only drive when the King say she can.
@bbc_whys good show, except the panel seems to be making views about KSA without backing it w/ evidence
Comment sent via SMS
16:51
118237762
As long as arabs take to streets on fidays there will be no democracy ahmed spain
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
16:47
118237634
storms disrupting the cable...missing out on @大象传媒_WHYS . Gutted
Comment sent via SMS
16:46
118237621
Abdilahi
Somalia
Every day passes with gaddafi still in power is like injury time in fotball
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
16:43
118237547
@大象传媒_WHYS i say the UN intervenes in syria. i wonder what's taking it so long to act?
Comment sent via SMS
16:43
118237524
NATO action in Libya is unjust. May Allah curse them in this World and the year hereafter! Sender, A. Kabir, Phil.
Comment sent via SMS
16:43
118237519
NATO is overstepping the UN mandate. They are killing civilians instead of protecting them. From the onset, they wanted regime change not protecting civilians.
Comment sent via SMS
16:42
118237502
America and the West should continue with the support for popular change. Cameroonians are waiting to be freed also. Simon.
Comment sent via SMS
16:42
118237501
Syria should get rid of anti-government. cause they are targetting with their soldiers another import topic to fight somali pirates inside somalias land.
Comment sent via SMS
16:42
118237490
Are the nato forces sincere about civilans in Libya? Harare
Comment sent via SMS
16:42
118237112
From Libya. . .if libya doesn鈥檛 have oil . . will Nato cares about civilians . . . . . MOUAMAR GADAFI IS IN OUR HEART
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
16:37
118237331
@大象传媒_WHYS What's the exit plan of Nato? Is Libya going to stand on its two's again economically and politically?
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
16:37
118237330
@大象传媒_WHYS why the united nation does not react what is happening in syria
Comment sent via SMS
16:36
118236627
African leaders must learn the hard way. The people鈥檚 determination must prevail in the end.Razinat, Egypt.
Comment sent via SMS
16:36
118237275
Alan E. Castor Fr: philippines: the acts of Nato in the Lybia, is over the mandate of UN resolution, that in the end of the comflic the Western alliances will face the consiquence of the vendetta, because of the vested interest of the oil resources by the western invader.
Comment sent via SMS
16:34
118237190
WHAT THE US AND NATO ARE DOING IN LIBYA IS AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS. CAN THEY TELL THE WORLD THE TRUTH, WHY LIBYA NOT SYRIA? MALICK IN THE GAMBIA.
Comment sent via SMS
16:34
118237186
Why do we always have to get involved when we can鈥檛 sort our own problems out at home. Andy from england
Comment sent via SMS
16:34
118237152
Its+benjamin from australia, iam sadned the way the big powers doing things in libya. I dont think kadafi did bad things than mobutu in congo or kony isdoing in many countries in africa. You cant kill people to protect people. They are many didtator in the .so remove all not jusk libian leader.
Comment sent via SMS
16:32
118237112
From Libya. . .if libya doesn鈥檛 have oil . . will Nato cares about civilians . . . . . MOUAMAR GADAFI IS IN OUR HEART
Comment sent via SMS
16:31
118236930
I urge nato to send ground troop to end libya war onece and for all
Comment sent via SMS
16:31
118237059
It is a partiality war on libiya by west. Why not they do the same in Yemen, Syria and other places- Alok, india
Comment sent via SMS
16:31
118237049
The problem is the SLEEPING SICKNESS of the Africans Nations Leaders! Mganga - Tanzania
Comment sent via SMS
16:30
118237014
Okan
Australia
I think Nato should leave other countries, always seem to make it worse. I鈥檓 sure other ways are possible and some how, these things should be delt with as humans. Best wishes and good luck !
What does the women's driving protest mean for Saudi Arabia?
| Friday, 6 June 2011 | 12:00 - 12:30 GMT
Women across the deeply conservative country are being urged to drive through the streets today to defy a decades old driving ban. An online campaign has called on women who hold international driving licences to start driving today. The "Women2Drive" campaign has used Facebook and Twitter to encourage women to drive as part of their normal daily activities rather than converge in one place.
This blog outlines to women what they should and shouldn't do today
It's not the first time women have tried to get the driving ban lifted. But last month a woman called Manal al-Sharif filmed herself driving a car through the streets of Saudi Arabia and uploaded it to youtube, she was later arrested, but the movement began once more..
This article compares the movement to that of Rosa Park.
"women are not permitted to share elevators with men. Nor are they allowed to walk in the streets, drive cars, or leave the country without the permission of a male guardian."
"Fatima, a young woman from Mecca, sent me an e-mail at the height of the Egyptian revolution: "Forget about the cries for freedom; I can't even give birth without being accompanied to hospital by a mihrim," or male guardian. She went on, "And the [religious police] have been given the right to humiliate us in public."
MFQahtani tweets
My wife, Maha, and I have just come from a 45-minute drive, she was the driver through Riyadh streets. #saudi #women2drive #WomenRights
angrywhitekid tweets
In 1999, sat next to a woman on a plane who participated in the 1990 driving protest. Told me they burnt her house down after. #women2drive
We'll be speaking to people in Saudi Arabia, not only about the defiance of the driving ban, but what this now means for Saudi society. As the Arab spring continues around Saudi Arabia, with women and men standing side by side protesting, is this the opportunity for women to gain independence?
We'll be speaking to people in Saudi Arabia and hear from Hiba in Dharan who is a professional woman who says she will only drive when the King say she can.
Your comments
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@bbc_whys good show, except the panel seems to be making views about KSA without backing it w/ evidence
Comment sent via SMS
As long as arabs take to streets on fidays there will be no democracy ahmed spain
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
storms disrupting the cable...missing out on @大象传媒_WHYS . Gutted
Comment sent via SMS
Abdilahi Somalia Every day passes with gaddafi still in power is like injury time in fotball
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@大象传媒_WHYS i say the UN intervenes in syria. i wonder what's taking it so long to act?
Comment sent via SMS
NATO action in Libya is unjust. May Allah curse them in this World and the year hereafter! Sender, A. Kabir, Phil.
Comment sent via SMS
NATO is overstepping the UN mandate. They are killing civilians instead of protecting them. From the onset, they wanted regime change not protecting civilians.
Comment sent via SMS
America and the West should continue with the support for popular change. Cameroonians are waiting to be freed also. Simon.
Comment sent via SMS
Syria should get rid of anti-government. cause they are targetting with their soldiers another import topic to fight somali pirates inside somalias land.
Comment sent via SMS
Are the nato forces sincere about civilans in Libya? Harare
Comment sent via SMS
From Libya. . .if libya doesn鈥檛 have oil . . will Nato cares about civilians . . . . . MOUAMAR GADAFI IS IN OUR HEART
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@大象传媒_WHYS What's the exit plan of Nato? Is Libya going to stand on its two's again economically and politically?
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@大象传媒_WHYS why the united nation does not react what is happening in syria
Comment sent via SMS
African leaders must learn the hard way. The people鈥檚 determination must prevail in the end.Razinat, Egypt.
Comment sent via SMS
Alan E. Castor Fr: philippines: the acts of Nato in the Lybia, is over the mandate of UN resolution, that in the end of the comflic the Western alliances will face the consiquence of the vendetta, because of the vested interest of the oil resources by the western invader.
Comment sent via SMS
WHAT THE US AND NATO ARE DOING IN LIBYA IS AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS. CAN THEY TELL THE WORLD THE TRUTH, WHY LIBYA NOT SYRIA? MALICK IN THE GAMBIA.
Comment sent via SMS
Why do we always have to get involved when we can鈥檛 sort our own problems out at home. Andy from england
Comment sent via SMS
Its+benjamin from australia, iam sadned the way the big powers doing things in libya. I dont think kadafi did bad things than mobutu in congo or kony isdoing in many countries in africa. You cant kill people to protect people. They are many didtator in the .so remove all not jusk libian leader.
Comment sent via SMS
From Libya. . .if libya doesn鈥檛 have oil . . will Nato cares about civilians . . . . . MOUAMAR GADAFI IS IN OUR HEART
Comment sent via SMS
I urge nato to send ground troop to end libya war onece and for all
Comment sent via SMS
It is a partiality war on libiya by west. Why not they do the same in Yemen, Syria and other places- Alok, india
Comment sent via SMS
The problem is the SLEEPING SICKNESS of the Africans Nations Leaders! Mganga - Tanzania
Comment sent via SMS
Okan Australia I think Nato should leave other countries, always seem to make it worse. I鈥檓 sure other ways are possible and some how, these things should be delt with as humans. Best wishes and good luck !