Drive-In for Saudi Women's Right to Drive this Friday

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that enforces a legal ban on women driving.  This means that women depend on male drivers, often hired strangers, or public transportation to go anywhere.  This limits women's freedom of movement, as well as their opportunities for employment, especially if they cannot afford a private driver.  Activists like Manal-al-Sharif have taken on the issue, and many Saudi women have declared that this Friday, June 17th, they will take to the streets - behind the wheel, that is.

And there's more.  Three women in Rochester, Minnesota were fired from their jobs as professional drivers because of the driving ban.  The Saudi Arabian visitors who they were hired to drive for didn't want women drivers, so the driving companies fired them.  Here in Minnesota, in 2010, they were fired just for being women.  This MPR article describes their story.

Show your support for the Rochester women, and Saudi women's right to drive at the Gender Justice Drive-In.

Friday, June 17th, anytime between 11:30am and 5:30pm

Rainbow Parking Lot by the corner of Lake Street and 27th Ave in Minneapolis

Photograph Drive: We'll snap a photo of you driving, in your car, or in our snappy green cut-out car.  We will send the collection to the Saudi government and to our domestic legislators as a visual showing of the support that Saudi women drivers have.  If you can't make it, you can still send in a photo to admin@genderjustice.us.

Green Ribbon Campaign: Put a green ribbon on your antenna or mirror, and look forward to explaining its meaning to curious folks in the parking lot, or passengers.

Rally for Rochester Women: Come meet the Rochester women, and learn more about the international intersections of gender issues and the impact litigation that Gender Justice pursues.

Check out and RSVP to the Facebook page for the event here.

There is also more info available on the Gender Justice website, at www.genderjustice.us.

I hope to see you there!