It is their Basic Right...
What a journey has it been for the women of Saudi Arabia to have their race and ethnicity define everything they can and should do. Saudi Arabian women were granted the right to vote and run in local elections starting in 2015. This is a victory for all those women who fought really hard in making this possible. But still, some of the women fighting for women rights aren't completely satisfied "why not tomorrow? asked Saudi feminist Wajeha al-Hawaidar, quoted the Assocaited Press. "I think the king doesn't want to shake the country, but we look around us and we think it is a shame... when we are still pondering how to meet simple women's rights."
Women in Saudi Arabia aren't granted any power and social structure because of their gender; by simply being women. Gender plays an important role in denying those women some of their basic rights; such as driving " No law in Saudi Arabia says women can't drive, but people must obtain local driver's licenses and they are never issued to women. In June, several dozen women risked arrest by driving in cities around Saudi Arabia in protest."
Gender, race and class define power. And in this case, women are denied some of their basic rights because of their gender race and class. Men in Saudi Arabia do not see this as a major problem because they are given the privilege in being "better" than women simply by being men.
I think Saudis decision is positive one for Arab women because it empowers them, provides them with equality and encourages them to actively participate in society. It's an attempt by Saudi to move towards modernization, following models like the U.S as an example.
All we can hope for, that women in Saudi Arabia will be able to vote and granted some of the basic women rights and not have gender define what they can and can't do.
Resources:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/saudi-arabia-women-vote/
http://www.aawsat.net/2014/02/article55329138
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