Should Women Be Able to Drive in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example

of the of the Concerned 14 November Should Women be Able to Drive in Saudi Arabia? Introduction There is nodenying the fact that the women in Saudi Arabia have to satisfy with much slower pace of change as compared to their luckier Western counterparts. Though going by the recently ensued changes, Saudi women could expect to vote in the near future, it leaves many progressive Saudi women wondering as to whether this change will give way to, many more coveted opportunities like allowing them to drive to work or while going to shop. In a legal context, Saudi Arabia does not forbid its women from driving. However, largely under the influence of its ultra 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. Namus & Purdah 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 anachronistic in the current times when Saudi Arabia is evolving into a thriving economy and a responsible member of the international community. To secure a proper place in the list of progressive nations, Saudi Arabia needs to extend to the women the right to drive. In that context, it will be really informative to analyze the issue under consideration in the light of the Saudi institutions of namus and purdah. Saudi Arabia happens to be a country where the rights of the women are largely determined by the tribal customs and the tenants of Islam. There is no denying the fact that Saudi Arabia is largely a patriarchal society that formally recognizes the institutions of namus (honor) and purdah (segregation of women and men). Hence, it goes without saying that the rights of the women in varied spheres of life are they social, political or economic are largely subservient to the institutions of namus and purdah. In Saudi Arabia, all women, irrespective of their age or social status are unexceptionally required to have a male guardian. This male guardian is supposed to be the custodian of namus which if translated in a Bedouin context means that he is supposed to provide for and protect the women in his family and the behavior and demeanor of these women directly reflect on his respect and esteem in the society. Since the honor of a male guardian is directly related to the conduct of the women of his family, he is supposed to control and manage the conduct of these women. Particularly speaking, the threat to the chastity of a woman is considered to be a direct attack on the honor of one’s male guardian. Hence, it is considered to be the duty of a male guardian to control the way women in his family conduct themselves. When projected in a larger context, Saudi Arabia being a patriarchal society, the society considers it its duty to regulate the conduct and the behavior of the women in a way that it in no way damage the esteem extended to the male hierarchy or dominance. The prohibition imposed on the Saudi women regarding driving needs to be largely seen and interpreted in the light of the institution of namus. The institution of namus on the one side is a social manifestation of the male hegemony in the Saudi society, on the other side it represents a social framework that is designed and perpetuated so as to keep the women from asserting themselves and their rights. In the light of these facts, one could readily understand that if women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to drive, this will not only endow them with mobility, but will also expose them to the opportunities that could challenge their chastity. No doubt, the Saudi notions regarding women are really infantile and are indicative of a deep seated insecurity in the Saudi male psyche that women will perhaps start raising voice against the male hegemony if they are allowed as innocuous and benign a right like the right to drive. However, what the Saudi society is not realizing is that such notions of male honor are not totally in consonance with the prevailing global environment, and Saudi Arabia being a vibrant economy simply could not continue to be viable if it does not accord equal rights to the women. One important step towards adjusting to this changing social and economic reality is extending to the women the right to drive. Social institutions stand viable only if they are in tandem with the needs of the time in which they are to operate. Yet, as it is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, allowing the Saudi women to drive will bring Saudi Arabia more in alignment with the prevailing international trends and will very much dilute its status of being a closed, regressive and conservative society. The other Saudi institution that is an impediment to the women acquiring the right to drive is purdah. The institution of purdah strictly demands the separation of men and women. However, the strange thing is that it is mostly the women who are accredited with the greater onus to respect and maintain the institution of purdah. Women is Saudi Arabia are strictly expected to stay away from men outside the family and are required to cover their body and face so that they may not be seen by men outside the family. Hence, the Saudi women are expected to don Hijab or a kind of black gown that hides all the parts of their body except their eyes and hands. One other practical doubt that is preventing Saudi Arabia from extending to the women the right to drive is the fear that if the women are allowed to drive, this will clash with the traditional Saudi requirement of purdah. It is also feared that if women are allowed to drive, it will jeopardize the strict segregation of women and men as required as per the Saudi social and religious norms. Hence, no wonder when it comes to the very basic right such as the freedom of mobility, Saudi women stand to be a deprived lot. The sad thing is that in Saudi Arabia there is no written law that forbids women from driving, but going by the institutions of namus and purdah, the women are simply not expected to drive in a socio-cultural context. The other thing is that in Saudi Arabia no driving licenses are issued to women, which in an indirect way makes the driving of a vehicle by a woman illegal. It goes without saying that Saudi Arabia needs to modify and adapt many of its social norms, beliefs, values and aspirations so as to allow the women to drive. Yet, allowing the women to drive is not such a mammoth social change that it could bring down a majority of the Saudi socio-cultural and religious beliefs and aspirations. For instance the institution of purdah in no way prohibits or constrains women from driving. As per the Saudi beliefs about regarding purdah, a woman is allowed to expose one’s eyes while being in public. The good thing is that it is the hands and the eyes and a practical knowledge of the driving skill is all that a woman needs to be able to drive. So, this allows for a kind of a compromise in the sense that Saudi Arabia can allow its women to drive while they continue to adhere to the requirements of purdah. It in a way will create a win-win scenario for both the Saudi norms and regulations and the women aspiring to drive and be mobile. To interpret it in a practical way it would mean that Saudi Arabia would not have to extend all the rights to its women that are readily enjoyed by the Western women, so long as it is willing to extend to them the very basic right to drive and have the freedom of mobility. Common Objections-from the Logical to the Absurd To support the prohibition on female driving the Saudi political and religious authorities tend to extend multiple objections and fears. Though, many of these objections may seem absurd to a Westerner, yet, they do make sense in the light of the traditional Saudi values and norms. One objection that is oft cited is that driving may require a woman to uncover her face which simply could not be allowed in the country. However, if one goes by the dictates of the common sense, it goes without saying that the Saudi women could drive while keeping their face covered. Hijab in no way interferes with driving. Many conservatives believe that allowing the women to drive will encourage them to move out more frequently. This is also illogical in the sense that the contemporary Saudi Arabia simply could not evolve into a successful economy without soliciting the participation of its female work force and allowing them to move out to work. In fact, it will be right to say that if Saudi Arabia allows the women to drive, it will not only take off a big burden from the heads of their male guardians, but will also spare they much time to focus on more important things like work and socialization. One big belief that is a big impediment to granting the women the freedom of mobility is that doing so will erode the traditional Saudi values and norms. Yes, it will in a way do so to some extent, but the thing that needs to be understood is that all societies have to change and adapt their values and norms in the light of the prevailing times and requirements. Even, a progressive nation like the United States of America did not allow the women to vote just a few decades ago. The good thing is that the US changed to the needs of the emerging trends and needs and eventually allowed the women the right to vote. Saudi Arabia is not a lesser a country as compared to any other free nation and it certainly has the capacity and the potential to go for such much needed social and political changes. Besides, Islam nowhere directly forbids women from driving. In fact, many a time not allowing the women to drive in fact violates the segregation requirements by requiring the women to either hire taxis driven by men not known to them or to hire drivers, thereby spending time in a confined space with a stranger. Yet, it also needs to be mentioned that the opponents of allowing the women the right to drive sometimes cite such objections that range from being positively ridiculous to absurd. One such objection is that if the women are allowed to drive, this will give way to overcrowding and traffic jams and will deprive many men the right and the opportunity to be able to drive. It is certainly true that if women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to drive, it will definitely lead to more traffic on the roads. However, just to keep the roads free and spacious, it is not right to deprive a large section of the population of the freedom of mobility. Besides, one could also extend this argument in favor of the issue that extending the driving licenses to the women will lead to an increase in the money accrued through license fees, vehicle associated taxes and toll fees, which the state could conveniently utilize to extend its traffic associated infrastructure. However, this is not the end of all objections. Recently, Majlis al-ifta al-Aala that is the highest religious council of the nation expressed doubts that allowing the women to drive will not only lead to the end of virginity, but will also lead to a significant surge in divorce, prostitution, homosexuality and pornography. The thing that needs to be understood is that there exists no scientific evidence or study that even remotely suggests that allowing the women to drive violates virginity or augments divorce, pornography or homosexuality. The other thing is that the religious leaders and the political class need to work on the way they envisage relationships. The traditional beliefs regard women as more of a property and not as an equal. Relationships need to be based on mutual trust and the freedom to be what one aspires to be. What could be the quality of a relationship that is based on enforcement of rules and irrational domination? Besides, religion is a matter of choice and the Islam also says so. If the women are allowed to espouse religious and traditional beliefs as a matter of choice and not as something that is enforced, it will only strengthen the traditional values and norms. Conclusion Hence, it is high time that the women in Saudi Arabia do need to be extended the right to drive and the right to mobility. Saudi Arabia being a vibrant constituent of the international community should espouse the social and cultural changes that are imperative to help the nation move on the road to progress. Besides, Islam nowhere justifies directly or indirectly prohibiting women from driving or forcing them to abide by the norms that are no more in consonance with their beliefs and aspirations. Read More