Saudi women who defied the driving ban last week received support from one of the world’s most powerful women: Former U.S. Presidential candidate and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Ms. Clinton was quoted by AP as telling an event hosted at the Chatham House International Think Tank in London, “I’m all for it. It is an issue that is symbolic.”
A campaign urging women to defy the ban on driving is underway in Saudi Arabia. Women across the country will sit behind the wheels of their cars on October 26 to protest the driving ban. The online petition hosted at the website www.oct26driving.com already has over 15,000 signatures.
Earlier last week, Saudi Arabia's Shoura (Consultative) Council on Thursday rejected a move by three female members to put the ban on women driving up for discussion.
The Council, which counts 30 women among its 150 members, rejected a move by one female member to raise the issue during a discussion on Thursday of transport ministry matters, the official SPA news agency reported.
It said the issue was “irrelevant” to the discussions and “not within the transport ministry’s remit.”
Speaking at the event, Ms. Clinton added that the ban is “hard to even rationalize” in today’s world.”
