Should women be able to drive in Saudi Arabia Research Paper

Should women be able to drive in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example ltra conservative mullahs, the kingdom simply does not issue driving licenses to women, thereby leaving them practically helpless when it comes to the freedom of being mobile. The larger belief that supports this blanket ban on women in Saudi Arabia ensues from the traditional Islamic and tribal customs, as per which, allowing women the simple and plain freedom of driving will not only upset the strict segregation of sexes in Saudi Arabia, but will also expose the Saudi women to more dangerous situations that will dilute the honor of their male guardians and the male hierarchy in the Saudi society, giving way to utter chaos and social confusion. Hence, most of the Saudi women are they the traditional homemakers, or the more ambitious and outgoing career women, many of them having received education in the West are to contend with the feasible alternative of being driven around the town by a male driver. Many a times, many progressive Saudi women have tried to protest against this ban on female driving, only to be arrested and handed back to their male guardians. The situation for women gets even more stifling considering the fact that many other Gulf nations like United Arab Emirates and Kuwait do allow the women to drive. Many progressive Saudi women do hope that the winds of change will eventually sweep Saudi Arabia also. Yet, the bad thing is that irrespective of the multiple changes going on in the Gulf in general and the rest of the world in particular, Saudi Arabia has stood steadfastly to its stance of not allowing the women to drive. In a larger context, this ban on women driving prevailing in Saudi Arabia needs to be understood in the light of the traditional Saudi religious and tribal beliefs and the associated fears and apprehensions. It is not that forbidding women to drive in Saudi Arabia is a constraint that is apart from the traditional Saudi values and norms. Yet, the irony is that these very traditional Saudi norms and customs are totally