There’s something extraordinary happening in Saudi Arabia right now. I should know — you see, I was born there, lived there half my life, speak the language and understand the customs. Lately, I’m both amazed at and humbled by what I’m seeing: Extremely brave Saudi women, more driven than ever to change their society, despite the sad fact that they still aren’t allowed to drive.
And while it’s true there’s no formal law that bans females from getting behind the wheel in the ultra-conservative kingdom, it is also by no means a stretch to say they are, indeed, prohibited from doing so. Unfortunately, that’s just the way it’s always been in a society where religious edicts are often interpreted to mean it is illegal for women to drive.
I’ve reported on this subject for years and must admit, it’s a personal one for me. Some of my earliest memories entail trying to figure out why my American mother would always drive me around Oklahoma City, where we spent our summers, but could never take me around Jeddah, where we lived the rest of the year.
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The Progressive Democrat 
This is one of the best stories lately in Saudi Arabia. I saw some of the videos and they were great. The women looked so comfortable driving. Anyone could tell they were enjoying it very much. I hope this trend continues and there isn’t too terrible price to pay for their bravery.
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Hey bluebird! Sorry I wasn’t more responsive last week. I’ve had a tough month.
I think that women’s rights in Saudi Arabia is a bellwether of the global progress of women’s rights, precisely because it is the most repressive society on women’s rights issues of any society other than Texas. Lol.
The Saudis are starting to move forward; Texans–still living in the Stone Age. Ha.
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