Politics
These Are the Women Saudi Arabia Doesn’t Want to Talk About
They fought for years to drive. As the kingdom prepares to drop its ban, why aren’t they free to enjoy it?
A Saudi woman practices driving in Riyadh in April.
Photographer: Yousef Doubisi/AFP via Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
The night the Saudi government declared an end to its ban on women driving, Aziza Alyousef was elated. The retired professor was inundated with celebratory calls and messages after years of fighting for the freedom. She couldn’t wait to get in line for a license.
“I want to be No. 1,” Alyousef told a reporter after the government’s announcement in September.