Senate Women Urge Overturn of Saudi Women Driving Ban

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), along with several other Senators, including Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Susan Collins (R-ME) signed a letter to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia urging him to overturn the ban on women driving in the Kingdom.

In the letter, the Senators noted the recent acceptance by Saudi Arabia of a majority of the recommendations put forward by the U.N. Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, including those recommendations about abolishing discriminatory practices against women. The letter said, “we strongly believe it is time to abolish the prohibition on women driving once and for all.”

Senator Boxer, with Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), also introduced S.Res.216 to encourage women’s political participation in Saudi Arabia. The resolution ”calls on the Government of Saudi Arabia to allow women to participate, both as voters and candidates for elective office, in the September 2011 elections; (2) supports the women of Saudi Arabia as they endeavor to exercise their human rights; and (3) believes that it is in the interest of Saudi Arabia and all nations to permit women to run for office and vote in all elections.”