Hillary Clinton Backs Saudi Women Defying Driving Ban

[moriah]

14. I disagree. The driving issue is something that the Saudi government knows they have to change.

Saudi women feel far more strongly about the right to drive, as it impacts their daily lives far more, than they are about things we might think would be unbearable -- such as mandatory hijab. How you dress is far less restrictive than having no option to go to school or work which does not violate your religion's imperative to not mix with non-related males. Public transportation is unsafe, and not often available to women even in urban areas. Drivers are generally unrelated, and often are strangers, so many women are forbidden every way they could have to get to school or work.

The driving situation is such that it's not precisely illegal for women to drive. In rural areas, many women do drive and are allowed. But licenses are only issued to men, and they're issued at the regional level. The King himself has spoken about this and said "I believe the day will come when women will drive. In fact if you look at the areas of Saudi Arabia, the desert, and in the rural areas, you will find that women do drive. The issue will require patience. In time I believe that it will be possible."

This is the perfect issue for Hillary to speak on.