You beat me to it and this is the thread I thought of too. In a country that has so far to go in a better direction, this is a step and that's good news. 

PJ_Soul said:

Well, um, it's not BAD news.... hard to call something that so clearly highlights the fact that the suppression of women is still by far the greatest human rights violation happening in the world and hardly anyone even thinks about it most of the time, but ..... The Saudi government says it will make driving legal for women, so yay? It's certainly good news compared to them saying they still won't be able to, right? (really I just couldn't find another thread that this story would fit into...... because there is no reasonably recent thread specifically about the worst human rights crisis on the face of the planet, or at least I didn't see one).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/world/wp/2017/09/26/saudi-government-says-it-will-allow-women-to-drive-for-the-first-time/?utm_term=.f633264c8d63&wpisrc=al_alert-COMBO-world%2Bnation&wpmk=1

Saudi government says it will allow women to drive for the first time

Writer Washington Post Staff September 26 at 3:26 PM

King Salman decreed that a government body draw up guidelines and implement the policy by next June, according to state media. The conservative Muslim kingdom has been criticized around the world for banning women from driving.

I heard an interesting radio program on the CBC a few days ago. It was an interview with a Saudi film maker who has a film out (fiction) that draws on her experience, and those of women she knows, growing up and living in Saudi Arabia. She talked at length about how the inability to drive affects so many areas of life. Women are "allowed" to work in many fields, but if they can't drive themselves to work, and there is little or no public transit, how do they get there? They have to rely on their male relatives being willing, or hire drivers. There is apparently a major underground economy in drivers, and since Saudi women don't get paid much, they tend to hire the dregs of the drivers, who are chronically late, disrespectful, etc.

And even if they are not working outside the home, how do Saudi women get their kids to school, if school is further away than one can easily walk? So the children may be late to school, or miss school.

It really affects all areas of their lives.

oftenreading said:

PJ_Soul said:

Well, um, it's not BAD news.... hard to call something that so clearly highlights the fact that the suppression of women is still by far the greatest human rights violation happening in the world and hardly anyone even thinks about it most of the time, but ..... The Saudi government says it will make driving legal for women, so yay? It's certainly good news compared to them saying they still won't be able to, right? (really I just couldn't find another thread that this story would fit into...... because there is no reasonably recent thread specifically about the worst human rights crisis on the face of the planet, or at least I didn't see one).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/world/wp/2017/09/26/saudi-government-says-it-will-allow-women-to-drive-for-the-first-time/?utm_term=.f633264c8d63&wpisrc=al_alert-COMBO-world%2Bnation&wpmk=1

Saudi government says it will allow women to drive for the first time

Writer Washington Post Staff September 26 at 3:26 PM

King Salman decreed that a government body draw up guidelines and implement the policy by next June, according to state media. The conservative Muslim kingdom has been criticized around the world for banning women from driving.

I heard an interesting radio program on the CBC a few days ago. It was an interview with a Saudi film maker who has a film out (fiction) that draws on her experience, and those of women she knows, growing up and living in Saudi Arabia. She talked at length about how the inability to drive affects so many areas of life. Women are "allowed" to work in many fields, but if they can't drive themselves to work, and there is little or no public transit, how do they get there? They have to rely on their male relatives being willing, or hire drivers. There is apparently a major underground economy in drivers, and since Saudi women don't get paid much, they tend to hire the dregs of the drivers, who are chronically late, disrespectful, etc.

And even if they are not working outside the home, how do Saudi women get their kids to school, if school is further away than one can easily walk? So the children may be late to school, or miss school.

It really affects all areas of their lives.

Yes indeed. Let's just keep in mind that while they may be allowed by the government to drive, that does not in any way mean they will necessarily be allowed to. Most will still have to be accompanied by a man, and plenty of the men who are controlling them (husbands, fathers, whoever) won't let them drive anyhow, or will make it so restrictive that there is hardly any point. I know this is supposed to be a good news thread, and yeah, this is of course one step in the right direction, but it's still important to acknowledge that just being legally allowed to do something doesn't always mean a whole hell of a lot for many of these women, depending on their circumstances.
But yeah, I'm not meaning to dismiss the importance of the ruling... let's hope it sticks. It doesn't take much in places where religion rules for things like this to jump backwards again.

I haven't yet read your article, PJ Soul, but will later. I did want to comment that I've read that the major "driver" of the change in driving laws is indeed concern about the economy, not any sense of fairness or respect for human equality. 

With so many asshats in the NFL always making headlines for the wrong reasons, it was refreshing to see this rookie give his first professional game check to 3 cafeteria ladies that we're affected by Harvey. Classy move.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20841443/deshaun-watson-houston-texans-donates-game-check-three-women-impacted-hurricane-harvey

F Me In The Brain said:

Good News....Suck Blue, all of you!

Sacre Bleu!

Can we give a high-paw to Frida for her work in Mexico City?