Thursday, March 8, 2018

Saudi women hope right to drive paves road to bigger freedoms

Multi-faceted article from CBCNews about changes for Saudi women and society. A link to the story is here, and the text pasted in below.

Will male-guardianship rules be the next to go?

By Sylvia Thomson, CBC News Posted: Mar 08, 2018 4:00 AM ET Last Updated: Mar 08, 2018 1:43 PM ET
In recent years, Saudi women have felt more liberated to express themselves in public, as seen in this image taken near the Riyadh dam. Photographer Maheda Al Ajroush had to ask the girls' father for permission to take the picture.
In recent years, Saudi women have felt more liberated to express themselves in public, as seen in this image taken near the Riyadh dam. Photographer Maheda Al Ajroush had to ask the girls' father for permission to take the picture. (Maheda Al Ajroush)

 There's an advertisement making the rounds on Twitter that features a GIF of a woman's purse that has spilled onto a table. The splayed contents include dark sunglasses, red lipstick and a bottle of perfume — and then, a key fob for a luxury car slides into the frame, seemingly completing the picture.


The ad, which is a subtle overture to Saudi women, would have been unheard of a year ago. It represents huge change and opportunity in a country that has been extremely repressive toward women.
Car companies such as Jaguar, Ford and Nissan are looking to capitalize on a potential new market of women drivers after Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, announced that starting in June, women in the kingdom would be allowed to drive.
The 32-year-old prince wants to show his country is liberal, modern and open for business beyond the oil sector. Saudi Arabian women have embraced the move on driving, but hope it brings other, more substantial changes, too.
Saudi woman in car
Women in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to drive starting in June. (Amer Hilabi/AFP/Getty Images)

   

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