One of Saudi Arabia’s most vocal women’s rights activists says the decision to allow women to drive is a “great first step.”.
The Latest on Saudi Arabia allowing women to drive (all times local):
11:15 p.m.
One of Saudi Arabia’s most vocal women’s rights activists says the decision to allow women to drive is a “great first step.”
Aziza Youssef told The Associated Press by phone from Riyadh that she was “really excited” about Tuesday’s announcement, calling it a “good step forward for women’s rights.”
Youssef, a professor at King Saud University, says women will continue to push for an end to male guardianship laws that remain in place, which give male relatives the final say on issues like the right of women to travel abroad, obtain a passport and marry.
Women’s rights activists since the 1990s have been pushing for the right to drive, saying it represents their larger struggle for equal rights under the law.
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10:35 p.m.
The United States has welcomed Saudi Arabia’s announcement that women will be allowed to drive for the first time.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert says the U. S. is “happy” with the move.
Nauert is calling it “a great step in the right direction for that country.” But Nauert isn’t commenting on whether Saudi Arabia still needs to do more to ensure full rights for its female citizens.
The move comes as Saudi Arabia works to improve its image and the perception of its human rights record in the United States and the West.
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10:30 p.m.
Saudi Arabia says it will allow women to drive for the first time in the ultra-conservative kingdom.
The kingdom, which announced the change on Tuesday, was the only the country in the world to bar women from driving and for years had garnered negative publicity internationally for detaining women who defied the ban.
Women’s rights activists since the 1990s have been pushing for the right to drive, saying it represents their larger struggle for equal rights under the law.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency and state TV reported the news late Tuesday evening, saying a royal order was issued for both men and women to be issued drivers’ licenses. A committee will be formed to look into how to implement the new order.
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