Issue and Opponent: Because Saudi Arabia is governed under Sharia Law, there is a religious police force called the mutaween that is employed by the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPVPV). There have been repeated reports of violence against women and girls as a result of the mutaween’s position of power. The right for women to drive is socially taboo in Saudi Arabia, and many religious scholars claim that it is improper under Sharia Law as the women would have to uncover their faces and bring them into contact with men not in their family more frequently. The protests were initiated in 1990 by a group of 47 prominent women, who were arrested after only 30 minutes of driving. This act catalyzed the protest that occurred in 2007.
Dilemma Action: In 2007, Wajeha al-Huwaider and Fouzia al-Ayouni founded an organization titled the Association for the Protection and Defense of Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia. Within the organizational framework of this group, the League of Demanders of Women’s Rights to Drive Cars was established. On September 4, 2007, the group began circulating a petition directed at the Saudi government under King Abdallah Bin Abd Al-Aziz Al Saud, which asserted that women should be given the right to free movement to further develop society. This would be presented to the King on the National Day during Ramadan. The petition was published in online media sources, including Aafaq, the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and BBC, ultimately receiving 1,100 signatures. When presented with the petition, the government ignored it. Because the petition did not accomplish anything, the group began initiating driving protests by driving on public roads. Several women were arrested, however, this protest gained international recognition, and the government issued a statement saying it would make efforts to lift the ban in 2008/2009.
Outcome: The government never followed through on its promises. The campaign would re-energize months later through more driving protests and raising international awareness. The driving ban had still not been lifted as of 2010.