Riyadh, January 26: A Saudi Arabian woman who defied the kingdom’s prohibition on women driving has died in a car accident in the country’s northern Hael province.
“One woman was immediately killed and her companion who was driving the car was hospitalized after she suffered several injuries,” police spokesman Abdulaziz al-Zunaidi told AFP.
The woman’s death comes months after a 32-year-old computer security consultant was arrested and detained for 10 days after posting a video of herself on YouTube as she drove in the eastern city of Khobar.
Manal Al-Sherif pioneered a female movement by starting a Facebook page called ‘Teach me how to drive so I can protect myself.’
Sherif and the other campaigners focused on the importance of women driving in times of emergencies and the high expense of hiring a driver, especially for low-income families.
On their page, the group says women joining the campaign should not challenge the authorities if they are stopped and questioned and should abide by the country’s dress code.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans women — both Saudi and foreign — from driving.
While the state has no written law banning women from driving, the country’s law requires citizens to use a locally issued license while in the country. Such licenses are not issued to women, making it effectively illegal for them to drive.
——Agencies