King salaman of Saudi Arabia Breaks Age-Long Tradition, Permits Women To Drive
The king of Saudi Arabia, King Salman bin Abdulaziz has broken the age-long tradition of restricting women from driving.
According to the official news agency in Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz issued a royal order to lift the ban on women and ordered for driving licenses to be issued to women.
The King, in fulfillment of his promise has set up a committee to ensure appropriate implementation of this order which is to take effect from June 2018.
The news was well received by women in Saudi Arabia as they described the ban as an obstacle that prevented them from advancing and increasing their participation in the society.
Recall that many activists had campaigned to remove this ban for many years. The first major protest for women driving which took place in 1990 shortly after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait led to the prosecution of many women who participated in the protest.
Hence, the Kings’s decision to lift the ban is symbolic in the history of Saudi Arabia, especially to the women.
Credit: ALEDEH news
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