Not all heroes wear capes. Some are hunched up in front of a computer screen, furiously typing away and using social media to fight for women’s rights. While we aren’t sure if Saudi Arabian princes do their own tweeting, but we do appreciate the fight that Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is leading.
The forthright member of the Saudi Arabian royal family just won over Twitter after presenting a fierce case for why women should be allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. “Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity.
“They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion,” he said in a statement. He further went on to detail the economic drawbacks of women having to rely on private drivers and taxis to chauffeur them around.
He pointed out that families spend $1,000 per month on non-Saudi drivers on an average, who then transfer the money back home. The funds could instead be kept within the Saudi economy and women could have the option of choosing female drivers, thereby creating more economic opportunities for women.
In times when common sense appears to be the most endangered resource, here’s hoping that more public figures start speaking up for what’s right.
