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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Robin Basselin.
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And I'm Nick Page. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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In late May of 2011, Manal al-Sharif got into her car. She started the car and drove around her town of Khobar, Saudi Arabia. As she drove, a friend sat in the passenger seat. This friend filmed al-Sharif driving. The two women discussed what it is like to be a woman in Saudi Arabia. They explained that women cannot drive cars. They also talked about how hard it is for al-Sharif to find a driver she can trust. Al-Sharif is a single mother. She does not have a husband to drive her and her children around.
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Al-Sharif and her friend put the eight minute film of their drive on the internet website YouTube. A few days later, the police arrested al-Sharif. They arrested her for the crime of driving. They put her in prison for nine days – a longer sentence than this crime usually receives.
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Today’s Spotlight is on women in Saudi Arabia fighting for one particular right – the right to drive.
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In Saudi Arabia, women cannot go out in public without a male family relative. They cannot vote in elections. And they cannot request a local driver’s license - the official paper necessary for someone to drive a car. These Saudi laws are based on religious, cultural, and tribal beliefs. Many people in Saudi Arabia have a strong opinion about the differences between men and women. Many believe men and women should be separated in public life. These beliefs have shaped laws that affect women’s rights. Today, many women desire to change these laws. And the protest for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia is growing.
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The driving rights protest in Saudi Arabia began even before al-Sharif was arrested. Women were already organizing themselves together to protest. They used internet websites like Facebook and Twitter to communicate. When al-Sharif was arrested, the protest began to grow much bigger. On June 17th, 2011, hundreds of women across Saudi Arabia filmed themselves driving around their towns. Then, they put these short films on the popular Internet website YouTube.
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The Saudi women’s driving protest has been calm and peaceful. The women have not used violence. They have not gathered together to protest in the streets. The women recognize that violence is not the way to achieve their rights.
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The women do not threaten the police with violence. Instead, they quietly refuse to obey. Driving does not hurt anyone. And so, more women are willing to join the protest.
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Normally, Saudi Arabia does not have many protests. During the spring of 2011, many other countries in the area had huge protests. Compared to these other protests, the protest in Saudi Arabia seems very small. But it is a big step for Saudi Arabian women. In another YouTube film, al-Sharif said:
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“There is a saying in Arabic: ‘the rain starts with a drop.’ So driving is really a meaningful thing for us women.”
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For women in Saudi Arabia, the right to drive is just one part of a much larger protest. By protesting driving, the Saudi women hope people will notice other examples of unequal treatment they face every day. The women hope this single drop will start a flood of equal rights for women.
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Philip Luther is from the organization Amnesty International. He talked with PBS Newshour about the law against women driving:
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“It is part of a larger connected system of laws and bans and restrictions on women that basically mean that they are second class citizens.”
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For the women in the protest, the right to drive would help them in many ways. Saudi women are expected to pay a private driver when their male relatives are away. Women often spend 90% of the money they make working to pay a driver. This is too much for many of them to pay. The high cost of drivers can keep women from working. It can also keep them from going to the store to get things they need. Most importantly, it can keep women from driving to the doctor or hospital when they need help.
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Even if a woman can pay a private driver, there is still risk. Hiring a driver they do not know increases their chance of being attacked. And if they are attacked, women in Saudi Arabia do not have strong legal rights. If Saudi women had the right to drive, it would solve many problems. In one of the driving protest films, a female protestor said:
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“This is what we want to do. We do not want to depend on other drivers. If I need to go to my work and if I need anything, I can drive myself. I think the community is ready to accept and welcome us as drivers.”
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Driving is also very important for women with families. Often, women stay at home with their children while their husbands work. If a child is sick or needs help, a woman may need to drive to the hospital. If she cannot legally drive, then she cannot get help.
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Like many women, these Saudi mothers hope that their children can have a better life. They hope one day that their daughters will have the same rights as men. In another driving protest film, a Saudi mother took a short drive around her town. She had three children. She sat them safely in the backseat of the car. The film shows the women’s children. Her oldest child is a daughter. She is wearing a black burqa, like her mother. This traditional clothing almost completely covers a woman’s body. As the mother drives, she shares her hope that her daughter will one day drive too.
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Saudi women understand that achieving women’s rights is a process. Today, these women are starting this process in small ways. While driving may not seem important to many, for the women of Saudi Arabia, it means a step toward equality. Amira Kashgary is a protester and university teacher. She explained to the New York Times:
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“We want to drive today, tomorrow, and every day — it is not a one day show. We want to make it normal.”
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