And the drums of Africa still beat in my heart…

It’s hard to believe, but it has been almost a year since I went to South Africa… Looking back through pictures, I can still feel the African heat and hear the cheetah purrs. Obviously, I’ve been busy reminiscing, but I’m excited to say that in a little over a month, I will no longer have to wish for a return trip to Africa. I will be studying abroad in Tanga, Tanzania, a place I’ve dreamed of going ever since I began learning Kiswahili language at Ohio University. I am blessed to have received a FLAS (Foreign Language & Area Studies) Fellowship through Yale University. The 8-week trip will entail a rigorous intensive language aspect, with me spending 20 to 40 hours a week studying Swahili. However, even with all of that studying, I certainly intend on making the most of my stay. And although I still dream of my cheetahs at Shingwedzi and the human friends I made there too, I know that Tanzania will offer another wide range of experiences for me to delve into. I’m ready to jump head first into the culture, wildlife, language, and diversity of Tanzania. And I will return to South Africa one day, probably sooner than I even know.

Like a Girl

The socialization of young women in our culture occurs through many institutions and by means of numerous materialistic items. The familial institution is crucial to how a young woman perceives herself and the world, but her peer group, school, and toys all play a role into her view of what is right and wrong, and how she should proceed in society. These societal norms of what girls can and can’t do or even should and shouldn’t do begins in the womb. From birth, we tend to socialize women into being feminine, obedient, and knowing their place in the world. A baby girl’s room is decorated pink. A young girl plays with dolls and wears dresses and skirts. If she doesn’t like those things, and would prefer toy cars, legos, and to wear pants, it is immediately made known to her that there is a label for girls like that: tomboys. Young women are consistently told that they perform tasks “like a girl”, especially when it comes to sports. Earlier this year, the brand Always produced a video that talks to girls about the phrase “like a girl.” The video quickly went viral, and now sits at around 50 million views on YouTube.

The video strikes a chord for many people, including myself. Of course I run like a girl, hit like a girl, throw like a girl…. I am a girl. When did doing things like a girl become an insult? A problem for society? I will also one day help to continue the human race…like a girl. In the Middle East, women are similarly socialized, although they are more highly affected by religion and the characteristics that come along with their religion. Especially in the Muslim world, little girls are taught to become well-rounded in house duties, like cooking and cleaning. There are several ways that these are brought into a little girl’s life. The most prominent one is by imitation. If she sees her mother and the other female role models in her life doing these chores, she will readily imitate, especially between the ages of 4 and 7. Toys are also used to show girls that the societal norms are right and should be modeled after. Barbies and other dolls are extremely popular in the United States and have been for quite a long time. I remember going to the store with my mom and asking to get a Barbie, and after she said yes, I had to pick out exactly which Barbie I wanted because there are so many to choose from. Do you pick Malibu Barbie or lawyer Barbie? Each one teaches you a little something new about how you’re supposed to perform in the world. However, in the Middle East, fashion Barbies have swiftly been replaced over the past decade with Muslim fashion dolls. The most prominent doll is Fulla (seen below) who comes with a hijab, an abaya, and a prayer rug. Her narrative is quite different than Barbie’s and that is half the reason why Muslim parents prefer Fulla. She is single, unlike Barbie who relies on her boyfriend Ken. Fulla is focused on friends, education, and family.

 

In an article from the University of Illinois, a very important quote stuck in my mind and is a very important socialization tactic when it comes to dolls.

“Typically, when a girl plays with a baby doll, she pretends to be the doll’s mother.

However, when a girl plays with fashion dolls such as Barbie or Fulla, she usually “becomes” the doll.”

It is important to remember how these simple toys can greatly affect the minds of our young people, especially our girls who are very quickly shoved into a proverbial box at an early age. We also need to stay mindful of how different cultures feed into the developing notions our girls have about their place in this world. I’ll leave you with one last thought that occurred to me after some of my research: I’m curious if Fulla’s body shape is any different than Barbie? In America, Barbie is frequently criticized for have an unrealistic body shape (If she were a real person, her feet would be too small to support her and her boobs would make her topple over). Because curves are more highly accepted in the Middle East, I wonder if Fulla is curvier than the American Barbie. Resources Girls’ Education and Gender Socialization in the Mediterranean Middle Eastern Dolls are Role Models for Arab Girls

All About them Babies: Part 2

Today, we will continue the discussion on differences between the U.S. and the Middle East. However, there are many more differences in infancy than pregnancy in each region, because there is no universal way to raise a child in our world. The other major idea to keep in mind is that there is no universal religion in the U.S., while Islam holds the primary ideals for the Middle East. Islamic views are made a part of a Middle Eastern child’s life from birth.

*This is a continuation of my previous post “All About them Babies: Part 1” where I focused on pre-childbirth differences between the U.S. and the Middle East.

1. Middle East: Culturally, male children are preferred

It’s important to pay attention to that first word. There are many areas of the world where male children are preferred (Middle East, China, India, etc.), but the reasons they are preferred varies greatly. Some countries hold religious reasons for why they prefer males, while others culturally and financially prefer males. In the Middle East, it is a cultural phenomena to prefer males, not a religious one. It is stated no where in the Q’uran that male children are better than female children. Religiously, they are desired equally. In the U.S., there is no cultural majority on this view. A specific gendered child is a preference that most parents have, but they’ve formed this from many of their own personal thoughts and experiences.

 

2. Middle East: Praying the Azan into an infant’s ear right after childbirth

The Azan is the call to prayer and it is believed that if you pray this into the ear of a newborn, they will subconsciously have the attraction to the Truth and the Beauty of the Creator instilled in them. This is a Muslim tradition, and a very interesting one. As far as I know, there is no equivalent of this in the United States, and much of that has to do with the fact that there is no one universal religion in America.

3. Middle East: Mothers rest for 40 days after labor

This is a tradition held in many regions of the world including Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Mothers are expected to rest, and by rest I mean literally rest, like do nothing for 40 days. They are not supposed to clean or cook or leave the house. They are supposed to spend time with their new child, and other women in the community come in to help with the rest, including taking care of the older children. While women in the U.S. do have maternity leave, Svea Boyda-Vikander so candidly points out (in her blog “Mothering the Mother: 40 Days of Rest”) that American women often feel the need to “work out, hop back in the sack, or . . . present a perfectly made-up face to the outside community.”

4. Middle East: Care after birth

Unless there is a problem with the child, in the U.S., we don’t do much to them after birth. We cut the umbilical cord, check their vitals, and eventually, send the child and mother on their way. However, in the Middle East they wrap the baby’s stomach after birth to protect from the wind and cold. It is believed that the cold air enters through a child’s stomach. They also place the baby’s head on plates and other flat surfaces to improve the shape of the baby’s head which is somewhat soft after birth.

5. Middle East: Breast-feeding for two years after birth

American children are lucky if they’re breastf-ed for the recommended six month period, but Middle Eastern children are expected to be breast-fed for two years. Now, it is true that some women have other issues with breast-feeding. Producing milk or breast sensitivity can be prominent deterrents from breast-feeding for too long. Women in the Middle East face these problems as well, but because of the expectation for the breast-feeding period, another mother will step in to provide milk. Another major cultural difference is that women in the United States usually have to get back to work after a certain amount of time and they would not be able to breast-feed for two years if they’re already back at work and away from their child. To learn more about breast-feeding, go here.

Culturally and religiously, the differences are endless, but these were the prominent ones that I found during my research. It’s interesting that children are birthed all over the world, and yet, the practices during post-childbirth and infancy are so extremely personalized and distinct among varying cultures.

Resources:

“Why Most Moms Don’t Reach Their Own Breast-Feeding Goals”

“Mothering the Mother: 40 Days of Rest”

“Chapter 4: Pathway to Paradise”

“Maternity: Cultural Views in the Middle East”

All About them Babies: Part 1

Childbirth is a woman’s issue. Childbirth is a woman’s issue. Childbirth is a woman’s issue . . . I’ve seen this phrase countless times during my research for this post, and maybe it’s just me, but something about these five words put together in this order is extremely unsettling.

My first response to this sentence is that women don’t just get pregnant on their own…getting pregnant, which is the precursor to childbirth, is something that can only happen if both a male and a female are present (unless you go the non-traditional route of insemination, but let’s stick to the traditional way of reproduction for the sake of this post). Why then should this only be thought of as a “woman’s issue?” Does the father have no right or say or responsibility for this little human too? Second of all, in most cases, childbirth should not be discussed as an issue. To birth a child is to give the gift of life.

Where this phrase is highly-alarming in my young American eyes, it is seen as yet another part of the Middle Eastern culture that happens to vary greatly from the American way of life. Pregnancy is something that occurs in all cultures (obviously, the human race would die off without procreation), but I was surprised yet again by the differences in culture and custom when it comes to how pregnancy is perceived in the Middle East.

Let’s start at the very beginning . . . a very good place to start:

1. In the Middle East: Abortions are highly looked down upon.

Not unsimilar to the U.S., abortions are not a respected option for women in the Middle East. Only in the case of the mother facing possible harm or death is the option of abortion seen as a possible route. While they are not considered a respected practice in either region, the U.S. may have easier access to abortions than Middle Eastern women. Middle Eastern mothers face permanent disabilities and sometimes even death as a result of this inaccessible option.

2. In the Middle East: Midwives are involved in prenatal care, delivery, and post delivery consultation.

This is what some would consider an archaic concept, seeing midwifery as a thing of the past. However, many women in other cultures (and even in the U.S.) still prefer the consultation and support of a midwife throughout their pregnancy and early childcare needs. In the Middle East, it is extremely common to have a midwife, and many times necessary because of lack of involvement in regards to the father. They are held in high esteem and are seen as a third parent figure in the early stages of motherhood. I was surprised to find that Midwives are not as popular in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. I couldn’t find a clear explanation as to why the use of midwives was so low for this region, however I can only assume that there is a lack of trained midwives and resources to train midwives, and/or they rely more heavily on hospitals/natural births/other healthcare professionals.

3. In the Middle East: Pregnant women are allowed to abstain from fasting during Ramadan.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is seen as the fasting month. At first I was in shock (because a month of fasting sounds extremely difficult), however after reading more and learning the exact stipulations revolving around the fast, I could see how it would be manageable. Not easy, but doable nonetheless. Ramadan takes serious dedication. Daylight hours are fasting hours, but I discovered that this doesn’t necessarily apply to pregnant women. Regardless of their ability to disregard the fast and eat whatever they may, many pregnant women still observe the fast. Visit this source to learn more about the health risks and benefits of fasting while pregnant.

Next week, I will dive deeper into the differences in labor practices and the Middle Eastern traditions that occur after childbirth.

Resources:

“Middle East”

“The Middle Eastern Community”

“Maternity: Cultural Views in the Middle East”

“Abortion in the Middle East and North Africa”

“The State of the World’s Midwifery 2011”

“Ramadan and Pregnancy”

Muslim Feminists as a Minority

Dominant: to utilize your power and influence over others.

In every country and culture, there are dominant groups according to a number of different characteristics. The most common differentiating factors include culture, race, gender, and religion. In the United States, there are many dominant groups, including caucasians, straight individuals, and Christians. These groups tend to decide the social norms that everyone else must follow and when others decide not to follow these norms, (in sociology terms) they’re considered deviants. Being a deviant often comes along with a stigma, and whether a culture is willing to accept these deviants or reject them, is completely up to the members of the dominant community.

Feminism consists of a large network of all genders within the U.S., however it is still a deviant group because it is not the dominating community. American feminists are proud and strong, and very willing to stick up to people who believe otherwise. And while the word “feminist” tends to hold a negative connotation, think: man-hating, in actuality, the word feminist simply means that you believe in equal rights for men and women. Radical feminism is exactly that: more radical, and it is often what people would consider “man-hating.” You can read more about a study done on whether people consider themselves feminists here.

Several parts of the U.S. are becoming more progressive when it comes to feminists and what they actually support. Sadly, this is not the case for many other countries, especially not in the Middle East. Muslim feminists (women who follow Islam but want equal rights for men and women) are without a doubt a minority, and seemingly under partial if not full control from the dominant power in their culture: men. In many Middle Eastern countries, according to law set by men, women are supposed to completely cover themselves with the abaya and hijab. The stated reasoning for this is because women are believed to be extremely sexual creatures and these cloth coverings serve as a protection for both men and women: women so that they are not ogled day in and day out for their sexual characteristics (curves, hair, cleavage) and men so that they are not tempted to do the ogling.

However, in “Ending oppression in the Middle East: A Muslim feminist call to arms,” Randa Abdel-Fattah brings up a powerful fact:

            “We need to ask why, if the hijab is supposedly a shield against harassment or sexual objectification

– a claim I find highly problematic –

are so many covered women in the Middle East groped, harassed, fondled and ogled in public.”

There is something to be said about the idea that the women must take preventative measures in order to stop the men from being overtly sexual in public, but even those measures are not holding men at arms length. Either way, harassment in the Middle East is extremely prevalent . . . just do a Google search for “harassment in the Middle East” and you’ll see what I mean.

There are many restrictive measures placed on women’s rights in the Middle East, as I discussed in my previous post. As I was digging through several articles on feminism in the Middle East, I came across a very interesting restriction that existed up until 2011, and may still exist today.

Until 2011, men worked in lingerie shops because women were not allowed to. This was to prevent the mingling of the sexes in a work setting . . . wait a minute. Wait just one. minute. Did I just read that correctly? So as a woman, I am not allowed to “mingle” with a man in a work setting (presumably professional) , however a man IS allowed to sell me my undergarments???? Because that makes perfect sense… #sarcasm

Obviously, this restriction really got me going . . . I understand that the differences between Middle Eastern and American culture are numerous and extreme, but something about this restriction seemed anything but logical. If the sexes mingling at work is seen as this horrible notion, wouldn’t the sexes mingling over erotically-infused items be even worse?

I think as much as the Muslim feminist is a minority, for every open and vocal Muslim feminist, there are five more underground Muslim feminists. What I mean by that is this: women in the Middle Eastern culture are obviously suppressed by the men in their lives . . . I don’t think anyone would argue with that statement. The problem comes in when women are not allowed to speak their minds according to their own personal beliefs. Instead, they must abide by their father’s, husband’s, and brother’s opinions. With this in mind, most women are virtually banned from speaking out about feminism and equal rights, because that would inherently refute their patriarchal counterpart’s ideas.

This is a topic that could be written about from every angle, and there would still be curiosities on the author’s and reader’s part. This is also something that could never be fixed within a day, because it is so deeply ingrained in the Middle Eastern way of life. However, it is something to think about. Awareness can only benefit this cause. I’ll leave you with this:

“It is easy to think of Saudi [and all Middle Eastern] women only in terms of victimhood.

But to do so is to compound the injustice and deny agency to the many women who are actively resisting oppression and making a life for themselves despite the barriers.

These objects of state-sponsored oppression do not need, nor do they seek, pity. They deserve to be heard and to be respected.”

Resources:

“Ending oppression in the Middle East: A Muslim feminist call to arms”

“Giving Feminism a Bad Name”

Google Search: “Harassment in the Middle East”

A Halloween love letter to my residents..

To my dear residents,

You’re allowed one guest each, and one guest only.
Please register by THIS Friday at 4:30pm or you’ll be lonely.
Go to your MyHousing page and click on “Halloween Registration”
It will take you step-by-step, so don’t lose your patience.

Provide the following information (guest name, guest driver’s license #, and emergency contact)
And you’ll be set
Need your roommate’s approval?
hahaha YOU BET!

Your roommate can approve by October 21st
Talk to them about it beforehand and you’ll be well-versed

On Halloween weekend
Stick with your guest AT ALL TIMES
You don’t want to get in trouble
for any of your guest’s crimes

There will be “door watchers” so don’t be too sneaky
The front doors and past the RAs will be your only route in, please don’t be cheeky

Last but certainly not least, WRISTBANDS are a MUST!
Pick yours up on Friday the 24 or you’ll be dust
Wear it all weekend … to get into the hall
Don’t lose it or ruin it … thanks doll.

Safety and fun are the two most important rules
Forget the first one, and you’ll be a fool.

Your Halloween weekend is what you make it,
do anything wrong and you’ll be asked,
But remember these tips
and you’ll have a blast!

Love your RA,
Camille

Obesity in Middle Eastern Women: One of the most extreme cases in the world

In recent years, obesity has been a major part of the health discussion around the world. Statistics stating how obese many kids, women, men, middle-aged, school-aged, and any other category you can think of have been floating around and are highly discussed especially when it comes to the United States. However, more articles have been written in the past couple of years about obesity in the Middle East and how extreme the circumstances are there. Middle Eastern women are particularly affected by this serious health risk, and as I researched, I found that not a single article had the causes of obesity for that particular group of people all figured out.

Let’s start with the basic causes of obesity . . . causes that are generally accepted around the world as issues when it comes to weight. The first two are physical inactivity and access to unhealthy food (or zero access to healthy food). Most people know that a healthy diet and being active are the first two steps to becoming a healthy human being, but people choose to disregard this for a more “comfortable” lifestyle choice. On top of that, surprisingly, there are people in the world that don’t know this is the proper way to fuel your body, because of lack of education and resources. The third cause that I discovered is very dependent on what area of the world you’re examining: wealth. I say that this is an indirect factor in obesity, because with wealth in many countries, comes the ability to buy and eat whatever you may want. It also allows you to stay at home more, which leads to the assumption that you’re not doing hard physical labor to gain the wealth. The last cause is also dependent on your culture: absence of a diet and/or workout culture. This one does not seem to affect the United States in the same way as maybe the other three do, but it certainly affects the Middle East. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a Muslim woman going for a casual afternoon run in her abaya. It’s just not accepted in their culture . . . but we’ll discuss this later on in the post.

Specifically identifying causes of obesity in the Middle East was surprisingly easy, and the list I compiled nearly doubles the previous list. According to an article on Nature Middle East, “the cause of the increase [in obesity] varies between Arab countries depending on socioeconomic, geographical, and cultural differences”, which comes into play when examining obesity in every country in the world, but is extreme when looking at the Middle East. As I mentioned above, women are primarily affected. Nearly 50% of Middle Eastern women are overweight, many of them even ranking as obese on the BMI scale, which is nearly double that of Middle Eastern men. There are specific determining factors that prevent women from losing weight and perpetuate the gaining of that weight.

1. Dress codes and “expected” conduct for women

Dress codes and conduct include the abaya, hijab, and having an overall modest appearance and representation of yourself as a woman. I don’t know about you, but running in any modest clothing (long sleeve, long skirt, any kind of scarf around your head) in the Middle Eastern heat does not sound appealing to me. Not to mention, breaking these societal norms could result in punishment. Working out can be a punishment in and of itself… I wouldn’t do it if I knew I was going to be punished afterwards by the men in my life.

***As a side note, abayas also cover the excess weight or the “mark of obesity” . . . which has led to the coining of the phrase “hidden obesity.” It’s the idea that the actual weight is “out of sight, out of mind.” This is something that also plays into the lack of workout culture, because in the U.S., our clothing is so revealing and tight, that you can tell when someone has even an inch of fat on their body, forcing many Americans (especially between the ages of 14 and 24) into a highly-accepted workout culture.

2. Middle Eastern Heat

Enough said.

3. A more Westernized diet

This “Westernized diet” was introduced into the Middle East three decades ago and added foods like pasta and carbonated beverages to their everyday lives. These foods had not previously been a part of their society or culture, but with the introduction came the more frequent access of it.

4. More women going into the workforce

This combined with the Westernized diet affects many families, because women who are working are going to have less time to prepare healthy, home-cooked meals and will likely resort to fast food or quick, easily-made food to provide for their families. Think fries, chicken nuggets, and other things that can be popped in either the microwave or the oven.

5. Failure to lose the weight gained during pregnancy

Due to a lack of resources and a decreasing population of doctors who provide care/follow up time with women after pregnancy, women in the Middle East are less likely to lose the baby weight (or the weight gained during pregnancy). Many doctors in the Middle East are not well-trained in nutrition, and therefore don’t know the proper ways to inform women on ways to take care of their bodies post-baby. If a woman has multiple children, that weight will eventually pile up, pushing her into the obese range.

6. Sports and recreational facilities being “male only”

This directly prohibits women from most public exercise spaces, which are some of the most convenient places to get a workout in. Without these, women must resort to either exercising at home or not exercising at all.

7. Emphasis on Academics

More and more colleges are offering night classes for women, taking up the little-to-no time they had to workout to begin with. The emphasis here is on being academically-minded and preferring an intelligent woman to a thin woman.

Lastly, there is a common fear among women in the Middle East that if they work out, they will gain muscles. They will probably gain some muscle, especially depending on the kinds of exercise they are doing and how often they do it. Because being naturally curvy is more culturally accepted in the Middle East, gaining muscles would be considered unattractive to women in the Middle East. Being “thicker” is a sign of femininity and fertility, and gaining muscles would negate those two concepts in their eyes. However, being curvy and being obese are two different things and women who are obese are actually decreasing their fertility rates. Being obese leads to complications during pregnancy and the excess weight leads to more miscarriages. There are also several other health risks, including diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol, among others. The overall lack of awareness about obesity and everything it can affect is a significant issue in the Middle Eastern culture, which has some of the worst obesity statistics in the world.

Resources:

“Obesity in the Middle East: A serious public health concern and initiatives to improve diet and physical activity”

 “As obesity rates soar in Middle East, more doctors turn to the knife”

“The hidden obesity toll on women in Arab states”

The Ongoing Fight for Women’s Rights

In the United States, I wake up daily to rights I didn’t even realize I had been granted…because I never thought someone would take them away. As an unmarried American woman, rights like driving, going places unattended, and hanging out with guy friends are just everyday moments for me, not preposterous acts that could be reason enough for punishment, beatings, and even imprisonment.

Growing up, I knew that when I turned 18, I would be able to vote, just like the rest of my fellow young adults, men and women alike. Don’t get me wrong, America is still growing when it comes to women’s rights, but after researching the Middle East, I’ve come to appreciate some of the simplest activities in my regular routine. These issues could be fleshed out into a full-blown book or two or three… but here’s a look at the surface of these basic human rights issues in parts of the Middle East.

In Saudi Arabia, women are still refused the right to vote, even though the country is one of only two left in the world that bars the female ballot, the other country being Vatican City (the smallest country in the world). In 2011, King Abdullah announced that women would be allowed to vote starting in 2015, but people within the country and around the world are skeptical as to how or when this will be reinforced.

Driving is another hot issue in Saudi Arabia. There is a driving ban prohibiting women from driving anywhere, however many women are extremely dissatisfied with this lack of freedom. In 2011 and 2013, female Saudi activists took to the roads in cars to protest this . . . behind the wheel. Many women were arrested and one woman named Shaima Jastaniah was even sentenced to lashes, but those charges were eventually dropped.

Women also stormed social media with a will to organize, but the Saudi Arabian government quickly blocked their site and dismissed their cry for justice. Driving is still a debated issue, because nothing has been done or even openly discussed about when or if women will be allowed to drive anytime soon.

The last issue of women’s rights that without a doubt needs to be addressed is the seriousness of family in the Middle East. This doesn’t really sound like a big deal . . . you’re probably thinking “family is good, isn’t it?” Most of the time I would agree, but there are severe flaws in what your family, especially men in your family, have control over when you’re a woman in the Middle East.

Many countries in that part of the world have what are considered “guardianship laws.” These allow male family members the right to punish, arrange a marriage, or prohibit their female relative from specific tasks. In Palestine, it has been even more severe than that. A statistic in an online article by Harretz shocked me: “Twenty-six women were slain by relatives in the West Bank and Gaza in 2013, twice as many as the year before, according to official figures.” Many of these women were slain under the idea of “family honor”, therefore leaving little to no punishment for their killers.

Once a woman is married, the right to control her gets passed off to her husband, which leaves little to no freedom for the woman, unless permitted by her spouse.

The leniency that is demonstrated when it comes to domestic violence is another topic that could be discussed for much longer than this blog post, but awareness is the first issue that needs to be addressed. Without knowing that these women are being oppressed, how can the rest of the world help? It also needs to be observed and said that the Middle Eastern culture is very different than Western culture. Many people in these countries believe that everything I mentioned above is just the proper way to handle women, because that’s what they’ve always done.

However, Middle Eastern women are coming to the conclusion that they are not okay with this institutional system of oppression anymore. They want their freedom to present themselves as highly-educated human beings. They want to drive themselves to meet and organize/protest. They want to vote for what they believe in and to make a difference in the nation they call home. And most of all, they want the right to choose who they marry and the right to have full control over their own minds and bodies.

References:

“7 ridiculous restrictions on women’s rights around the world” http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/10/27/7-ridiculous-restrictions-on-womens-rights-around-the-world/

“Saudi women set to drive in protest – and to show their rising clout” http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/10/25/saudi-women-set-to-drive-in-protest-and-to-show-their-rising-clout/

“A look at the rights of women in Arab countries” http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.578635

Photo of woman driving (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/10478016/Saudi-Arabia-rethinking-women-driver-ban.html)