News of progress or decline
in rights of women, worldwide.

Staff at this web site subscribe to many Internet news services. From time to time, when we see an item that demostrates progress, stagnation, or a reduction in women's rights from around the world, we will report them here.

News items from Saudi Arabia:

• 2011-SEP: Saudi Arabia: Women are not allowed to drive vehicles in the country, even if they have an international driving license. This is regarded as a social restriction because there is no actual law or religious edict prohibiting them from driving.

• 2011-SEP: Saudi Arabia: Shayma Jastaniah, a woman in her 30's, was found guilty of driving a vehicle. She was sentenced to ten lashes.

• 2016-DEC: Saudi Arabia: Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia tweeted:

  "Stop the debate. Time for women to drive."

  He also issued a four-page open letter that said in part:

  "Would it not be better from the standpoint of safety, security, not to mention religious morality, to allow women to drive their own cars than to expose them to the dangers inherent in having them driven alone by foreign males?"

• 2016-NOV: A married woman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the Twitter handle "Malak Al Shehri" posted a tweet saying that she was going out for breakfast without wearing either a hijab or abaya head covering. A photograph of her was later posted on the Internet. There were calls that she be imprisoned, or that the state execute her and throw her corpse to the dogs. But there were many more in the country who came out in her support.

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Copyright © 2016 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Original posting: 2016-DEC-
Latest update : 2016-DEC-
Author: B.A. Robinson

Web ReligiousTolerance.org

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