Jeddah, 17 Sept. (AKI) - A group of Saudi women plan to petition the government on 23 September to lift a ban that prevents women from driving vehicles in Saudi Arabia.
The newly-formed group known as the Society of Demanders of Women's Right to Drive Cars in Saudi Arabia includes human rights activists and social workers, according to a report in the Dubai-based Khaleej Times. "We demand that the right of women to drive is given back to us. ItÂ’s a right that was enjoyed by our mothers and grandmothers in complete freedom to (utilise) the means of transportation in those times," says the petition.
The report said that Saudi government officials had made statements last year stating that the decision of women driving is up to society and not the repeal of any law. The ban reportedly comes from a strict interpretation of the womanÂ’s need to be with a legal guardian (a mahram) while in public.
Conservatives argue that if women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to drive they might interact with unrelated men, such as police officers or men who come to assist them if their cars break down.
"Women are in urgent need of driving. ItÂ’s a basic need," one of the petition's organisers, Fawzeyah Al Oyouni, was quoted as saying. Al Oyouni is a human rights activist and one of the founders of the society. Other members include human rights activist Wajeha Al Huwaidar and social worker Haifa Osrah.
The petition will be presented to the government on 23 September which is the Saudi National Day. |