Saudi women have once again started up the movement of a woman's right to drive in the ultra-conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Agence France-Presse reported.
As they relaunched the campaign, women activists urged their female community to join the ongoing initiative and participate by getting behind the wheel on Dec. 28. Activist Nasima al-Sada told AFP that the call for action is a "reminder of the right so it is not forgotten," adding that she urged women nationwide to drive on the chosen day in order to support the movement.
Saudi Arabia has received international disapproval over the past few years for being the only country in the world where women are restricted from driving. Calling the latest move a continuation of a campaign launched on Oct. 26, when 16 activists were stopped by police for defying the ban, Sada said "we will continue until we get our rights."
Activists, Aziza al-Yousef and Eman al-Najfan, were stopped by the police last Friday in a car in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.
One of Saudi Arabia's most prominent bloggers, and one of the organizers of the popular Oct. 26 Women's Driving Campaign, al-Najfan said she decided to go for a spin with Al-Yousef to attract more attention to her cause, CNN reported.
Yousef said after talks with Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef a week ago, authorities were reassessing the controversial ban on women driving.
"Rest assured that the issue is being discussed, and expect a good outcome," Yousef quoted the minister as saying in the meeting with her and fellow activist Hala al-Dosari to AFP.
Yousef said the meeting was done through a video conference in the minister's office, in compliance with strict rules of segregation between men and women. Apart from not being permitted to drive, Saudi women are required to cover themselves from head to toe and need permission from a male guardian to travel, work and marry.
