Just last week, there were hopes that all countries participating in the London Olympic Games would be represented by both men and women athletes. Apparently what seemed an achievable goal was too ambitious for 2012. No women from Saudi Arabia qualified to participate in the Olympics, despite the conservative Islamic country allowing women to compete […]
Saudi Women
Saudi Arabia Allows Women in Olympics, But Will Any Qualify?
For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, women from all competing countries will be offered an opportunity to take part in the international event. That’s because the Saudi Arabia government announced yesterday, through its London embassy, that it will permit female athletes to join its team at the 2012 London Games, which […]
Honk for Saudi Women on International Human Rights Day!
Today is International Human Rights Day, and this year there is much to celebrate. 2011 has been an extraordinary year for human rights activism worldwide, as the UN points out: This year, millions of people decided the time had come to claim their rights. They took to the streets and demanded change. Many found their […]
Will Saudi Women Lose Their Virginity En Masse If They Start Driving?
My first thought is “no,” followed by a swift “none of your business.” But that wasn’t the conclusion of a recent report prepared for Saudi Arabia’s legislative assembly by a well-known academic. He predicted that if Saudi women were given the right to drive, those who had never had sex would quickly start losing their […]
Despite King’s Edict, Saudi Woman Sentenced to 10 Lashings for Driving
International outcry arose this September when, just a day after Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah announced a commitment to women’s rights and granted women voting rights in 2015, a woman named Shaima Jastaina was sentenced to 10 lashings for driving to the hospital. There is no specific law making it illegal for women in Saudi Arabia […]
On Supposed Reforms and Unjust Lashings: A Saudi Woman Speaks Out
Last Sunday, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia gave a speech to the Shura Council in which he granted Saudi women the right to vote and run in municipal elections starting in 2015 and promised to appoint women to the Shura Council in 2013. Such political rights are welcome because of their social implications. That a […]
BREAKING NEWS FROM SAUDI ARABIA
Women in Saudi Arabia live under some of the world’s harshest restrictions on basic freedoms, including a de facto driving ban. But the 2011 Arab Spring and an accompanying campaign for driving rights have heralded new hope for Saudi women. Ms. is deeply committed to reporting the news on Saudi women’s struggle as it happens. […]
For Saudi Women, Voting Win Masks Driving Crackdown
In a national TV address Sunday, Saudi King Abdullah declared an end to the de facto ban on women’s suffrage. Beginning in 2015, women will be able to vote and run in local elections. This seemingly good news, heralded by the AP as “a major advancement for the rights of women,” overshadowed disturbing developments that […]
Newsflash: King Abdullah Grants Saudi Women the Right to Vote–In 2015
On Sunday, 87-year-old King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia announced plans to allow women to vote, run for office in local elections and serve on the Shura Council, the 150-member king’s advisory board. However, the changes won’t take place until 2015, and some skeptics think the king will rescind the order by then. Regardless, the move […]
Newsflash: 14 U.S. Senators Call for End of Saudi Women Driving Ban
Yesterday, 14 U.S. Senators–all of them women–sent a joint letter to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia asking him to end the ban on women driving in the kingdom. Arguing that the ban “stands in stark contrast with the commitments your government has made to promote the rights of Saudi women,” the letter reads: In June […]