Saudi Arabia has a law that does not enable women to drive. Consequently, Shaima Jastaina was caught driving and was sentenced 10 lashes (flogging). This is one of the many instances of how woman have limited rights in Saudi Arabia. However, a day after the court's ruling for Shaima, King Abdullah overturned the ruling. The King has worked on another women's rights issue this week which is voting. He announced that women will be allowed to vote in the 2015 election, as well as, be eligible to be appointed to Shura Council. While the right to vote for women is a step in the right direction, the right to vote is still a highly desired
freedom.
(King Abdullah)
This article deals with the human right of equality of rights without discrimination. Clearly women do not have equal rights with men in Saudi Arabia. If women are not allowed to vote let alone drive it is an infringement upon their human rights. It is hard for me to imagine not being able to drive. It is a way to keep women very dependent on men. It is comforting to know that the King has decided to give women more rights by allowing them to vote in the next election. (Even though they will not be able to vote in this year's election.) I also think that this article deals with protection against torture and cruel and inhuman punishment. Yes Shaima Jastaina was granted a pardon from the King, but that doesn't change the fact the people can be punished with lashes versus jail time. Saudi Arabia has a long way to go in the issue of women's rights (human rights), but at least the King is starting to reform.
Do you believe that Saudi Arabia is on the right track to women's rights or do you feel that they are not improving?
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/amnesty-international-condemns-flogging-sentence-for-saudi-woman-who-drove-a-car
freedom.
(King Abdullah)This article deals with the human right of equality of rights without discrimination. Clearly women do not have equal rights with men in Saudi Arabia. If women are not allowed to vote let alone drive it is an infringement upon their human rights. It is hard for me to imagine not being able to drive. It is a way to keep women very dependent on men. It is comforting to know that the King has decided to give women more rights by allowing them to vote in the next election. (Even though they will not be able to vote in this year's election.) I also think that this article deals with protection against torture and cruel and inhuman punishment. Yes Shaima Jastaina was granted a pardon from the King, but that doesn't change the fact the people can be punished with lashes versus jail time. Saudi Arabia has a long way to go in the issue of women's rights (human rights), but at least the King is starting to reform.
Do you believe that Saudi Arabia is on the right track to women's rights or do you feel that they are not improving?
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/amnesty-international-condemns-flogging-sentence-for-saudi-woman-who-drove-a-car
For Saudi Arabia this is a positive step in the right direction. But the ideas and pledges mean so little when laws are not properly executed. I agree with your statement that this is a way to keep women very dependent on men; as with anything else the general assumption is power lies with the person who is being depended on. I believe it will take more for women's rights to have a stable and respected place in the country; such as changes in men's attitudes towards women. Think about the amount of time it takes for a right to be installed & for how long before another "decision" for a right to reach the surface. I know that if I lived in a country where driving was against the law because I was female, and tomorrow I was given the human right to drive, I would appreciate, and value it a lot more because I never had it. Saudi women will value these rights but I believe that knowledge only sustains a man's power.
ReplyDeleteThis is a positive step for Saudi Arabia, as it proves that they are willing to change. The worry is that although the law itself may change, the society may not, and men may take over and beat their wives for driving. But ideally, this law will show women that they are worth more than they thought and this will drive them to continue to fight through societal aggression towards equality. I hope this is the case.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Carissa, this is definitely a positive step in the right direction. I hope the king isn't getting backlashes for actually being, well, SMART.....
ReplyDeleteI feel really bad for these women, mainly because a grand deal have been so oppressed in human rights for so long that unfortunately, some of them don't even realize it. As you said, I couldn't imagine not being able to drive either. My car broke down a few days ago and I had to search for trustworthy drivers still on campus for the weekend....Talk about a heartache.
Laws, such as not allowing women to vote or DRIVE (hello, it's driving), are just ways to not only keep women dependent on men, but also limit their abilities to escape.