The news took us all by surprise yesterday when Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issued a royal order that will allow women to get behind the wheel, ending the long-standing ban on women driving in the Kingdom.
The decree ordered the establishment of a high-level committee which will be tasked with studying the practicalities of the order within 30 days and ensuring its full implementation by June 2018.
While driving is technically not illegal for women in Saudi Arabia, a fatwa, a religious ruling, issued in the early nineties placed a de facto ban on the practice. Being the last country on earth where women are not allowed to drive, unsurprisingly King Salman’s decision to reverse the ban took twitter by storm.
https://twitter.com/layanzd/status/912760999127736320
Cheers, ladies!
https://twitter.com/drkntwsty/status/912926493264752640
Millions of Saudi women and Twitter users all over the world rejoiced over the long-overdue decision. Celebratory hashtags quickly went viral, including #Women2Drive, #SaudiWomenCanDrive and #الملك__ينتصر_لقياده_المراه [The king champions women driving].
First things first:
https://twitter.com/aa_j81/status/912762917887660032
We did it!
https://twitter.com/manal_alsharif/status/912760002112131072
Congratulations, sisters.
SO happy about this! Mabrouk sistas!! #SaudiWomenCanDrive pic.twitter.com/x1uZoaTCPf
— ✍️ Rachel McArthur (@raychdigitalink) September 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/Mohamed_NL7/status/912766451047632898
Even though Islamic law does not prohibit women from driving, many Saudi clerics have argued that allowing women to drive would corrupt society and lead to sin. One cleric claimed that driving could damage a woman’s ovaries and therefore her fertility, while another only last week said women cannot drive because they “lack the intellect” of men.
Many Muslim tweeps argued that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would have encouraged women driving.
https://twitter.com/ThisIsAhsanLive/status/912895638588751872
https://twitter.com/yyzzzzzzz/status/912808611226750976
Nawaf Al-Ghamdi wrote: “Brainless. Women used to ride horses and go out to run errands during the time of the Prophet – peace be upon him – and his companions, and no one prevented them.”
Saudi Prince Abdulaziz Al-Saud also celebrated the decision, tweeting: “Those who not like this, they are responsible for their own family. Do not impose what you do not like on the whole society. Everyone is free to choose and no one is being forced.”
https://twitter.com/alsaudabd/status/912763938403700736
The decision comes after decades of protests and grassroots campaigns calling for women to drive and people made sure everyone remembers their struggle.
Never forget what #Saudi women did to gain #Women2Drive: 11 days & months in jail, confiscated cars, intimidating calls from mabahith, etc.
— Nora Abdulkarim نورة الدعيجي (@Ana3rabeya) September 26, 2017
Great day for @manal_alsharif, @LoujainHathloul and all the #Saudi #Women2Drive activists over the years. pic.twitter.com/oFSv6fvQZx
— Jim Early (@mkearley2008) September 26, 2017
Saudi rights activist Manal Al-Sharif helped start a women’s right to drive campaign in 2011 when she filmed herself driving in the Kingdom and posted it on YouTube. She was detained the following day and held for nine days with no charge before being released due to widespread international pressure. Al-Sharif has since become the face of Saudi Arabia’s Women2Drive movement.
https://twitter.com/manal_alsharif/status/912769533911240704
She also tweeted about the situation of other activists: “Lujain Al-Hathlool and Maysaa Al-Amoudy, 72 thanks for 72 days in prison for driving.”
https://twitter.com/manal_alsharif/status/912853168769220610
Twitter was flooded with memes
الشباب السعوديين بعد القرار 😂🤣🤣🤣 #SaudiWomenCanDrive pic.twitter.com/CNptCjDPxF
— 's (@i_sk94) September 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/maj_oib/status/912762119136804864
Watch and learn, boys.
https://twitter.com/toobaeutiful/status/912941491911315457
https://twitter.com/Jumanhaffar/status/912763676859469824
With a guardian or without?
https://twitter.com/Mahiman73/status/912973668766109696
https://twitter.com/Osman303/status/912759882780168197
Congrats were pouring in from everywhere
US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump said it was an historic day for women in Saudi Arabia.
1:2 Today was a historic day for women in Saudi Arabia as a decree was announced to lift the ban on women drivers. #SaudiArabia
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) September 27, 2017
Celebrities also celebrated the news. International pop star Rihanna posted an image of a painting on her Instagram account of a woman in traditional Saudi dress sitting on top of car, with the caption “Love to see progression. Women will now be able to drive in Saudi Arabia.”
American reality TV star Kris Jenner congratulated Saudi women, with an image of her own.
Congratulations to all women in Saudi Arabia! The ban on driving will be lifted next year & all women will have the right to drive #Progress pic.twitter.com/Zsc7gbMR8n
— Kris Jenner (@KrisJenner) September 27, 2017
Even car companies joined in.
https://twitter.com/LandRoverMENA/status/912972554876354560
But not everyone is happy
On the other hand, many Saudis took to twitter to voice their opposition to the decision, launching hashtags of their own. The hashtags #حريم_بيتي_لن_يقودوا [The women of my household won’t drive] and #الشعب_يرفض_قياده_المراه [The people reject women driving] saw thousands attacking the decision.
#الشعب_يرفض_قياده_المراه "The people reject women driving" is #1 worldwide trend.
Obviously the problem is merely regimes, not the masses 🙄 pic.twitter.com/491YCd6Uy5
— Mohamed the Atheist (@AtheistMohamed) September 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/FahdBinYahya/status/912977784582139904
It’s about our wives and daughters.
https://twitter.com/tarikissaka/status/912897347646054400
What’s next, though?
https://twitter.com/tarikissaka/status/912887673152573441
Twitter users hit back – hard.
It’s going to happen, get over yourselves.
https://twitter.com/Tomah_Mohammed/status/912927126743060480
https://twitter.com/tommz66/status/912885553368113152
https://twitter.com/natsucule/status/912935079164465152
Drama drama and I'm here just to laugh at those poor people crying all over again join the party girls.😂 #الشعب_يرفض_قياده_المراه pic.twitter.com/goI42YuKfl
— Maha (@xmtkd) September 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/Justletitgo1986/status/912890056540598273
Some Twitter users pointed out how Saudi women depend on private male drivers for transport when free mixing is prohibited in the country. Some 800,000 men, most of Asian origin, work as personal drivers to Saudi women.
Saudi men crying cause they allowed women to drive….. but your ok with a taxi driver to take her to places 😂😂😂😂 #حريم_بيتي_لن_يقودوا
— the catalans got you your 3 trophies 💀🤡 bowdown (@mesquebarcelona) September 26, 2017
Concerns about possible restrictions on women remain as Prince Khaled Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington and the King’s son, confirmed that women will not need a legal guardian’s permission to apply for a driving licence and a guardian will need to be present with her in the car. There have also been rumours about a curfew, the need for guardian approval for intercity travel and having to be above a certain age to qualify for a driving licence.
One item off the list
Lifting the ban on women driving has definitely been a step in the right direction, but Saudi Arabia still has a long way to go as Saudi women remain largely subject to guardianship law, which prevents them from applying for passports, travelling, opening bank accounts, working and conducting business or undergoing certain medical procedures without a male guardian’s permission.
https://twitter.com/alaa_satir/status/912827527684640769
#IamMyOwnGuardian in progress
https://twitter.com/manal_alsharif/status/912762197838721024
Freedom cannot be achieved unless the women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression #SaudiWomenCanDrive pic.twitter.com/SRa5cSVve3
— Salma Arif (@CllrSalmaArif) September 26, 2017
Saudi Arabia finally lets women drive. Now revoke guardianship laws and stop treating women like children. https://t.co/4dvzmdrwyQ pic.twitter.com/oTm96BXRCG
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) September 26, 2017