Tell Obama: Put women in the driver's seat in Saudi Arabia

Who's driving President Obama in Saudi Arabia?

Take a drive for Saudi women's rights, Obama A Saudi Arabian woman taking the wheel in support of the women2drive initiative in Saudi Arabia. Next week, President Obama will meet with the leader of Saudi Arabia. Who's going to drive his car? Will it be a woman? And why does it matter? Women in Saudi Arabia are banned from driving – and face severe restrictions on their ability to do many things in public without a male guardian. Selecting a female driver would send a powerful message about women's rights. Join us in urging President Obama to push hard for significant human rights reforms during his visit to Saudi Arabia – starting with choosing a woman driver. http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=520731&msource=W1403EAWMN2 Dear Tracy, Did you know that Saudi Arabia is the ONLY country in the world in which woman are not allowed to drive? Let's support Saudi women's struggle to change this. That's not the only way Saudi women are treated as second-class citizens. Women must gain permission from a male guardian to get married, travel to most countries, undergo certain surgeries, get a job or enroll in higher education. Saudi women are punished for exercising the freedoms you and I enjoy every day. President Obama is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia next week. Let's make sure he puts women in the driver's seat during his trip, literally and figuratively. Tell Obama to speak up for human rights on his trip to meet King Abdullah – starting with selecting a woman driver. For too long, the US relationship with Saudi Arabia has prioritized politics and oil over human rights. Saudi Arabia has a repressive government, yet it has been spared the blunt criticisms U.S. officials make of some other regimes. Amnesty International is calling on President Obama to take these 3 specific public steps during his trip to send a message that human rights matter: Select a female Secret Service officer to drive his car in Saudi Arabia Meet Saudi Arabian women who protested the driving ban Meet family members of activists Mohammad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamid, men who have been imprisoned for the peaceful expression of their political beliefs. We need to hit the gas on this now to make an impact BEFORE President Obama's trip. Take action now. Thank you for your using your rights to defend the rights of others. It can make a world of difference. In solidarity, Sunjeev Bery Director, Middle East and North Africa Amnesty International USA