I got this from Amnesty International. Sign this petition:
Dear Tracy,
At long last, Saudi Arabia has agreed to send women athletes to compete in the Olympics.
It's taken 116 years to do it, but for the first time in Summer Olympic history, every country competing will include women athletes. Today, during the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the torch for women's rights is also on display for the world to see.
But as you know, things aren't always as they appear on TV.
While Saudi women have been given a small opening to compete for Olympic glory on the world's stage, they still won't be able to enjoy basic rights such as getting behind the wheel of a car at home. The reality is shameful.
Let
Saudi officials know that the world will still be watching even when
the Olympics are over - tell Saudi authorities to let women drive!
Restricting a woman's right to drive stems from a desire to limit a woman's independence. Saudi Arabia's leaders have relegated women to second class status by requiring them to ask their male guardian - typically a father, brother or husband - before they can even go out in public.
Want to marry? Ask your guardian. Want to work? Ask your guardian. Want to go to school, get on public transportation, or go to the doctor? That's right - your guardian must give his approval first.
And don't even think about playing a sport - even going to the gym is restricted. In fact, the athletes competing for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics have only been able to achieve their successes within the sport because they do not practice in the country.
Stand up for women's equality - behind the wheel of a car, in a sports arena, inside the home and throughout Saudi Arabia!
Get the message to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah - I support Saudi women's right to drive.
Just over a year ago, women in Saudi Arabia launched a powerful campaign asking women with international driver's licenses to do a crazy thing - drive. This came after one woman was sentenced to receive 10 lashes for being caught behind the wheel of a car.
The result was inspiring1. Despite the risks of arrest and harsh punishment, women took to the kingdom's roads, spurring the movement to overturn the ban on driving forward.
More signs, like King Abdullah's promise to allow women to vote in the 2015 election, are growing proof that the tides are changing and barriers blocking women's rights are beginning to erode.
However, if Saudi Arabia truly wants to "go for gold" this summer, it should lift all restrictions on women's basic freedoms. Permitting two women to aim for their Olympic dreams is a start, but let's not stop until women can freely pursue their own dreams…whatever they may be.
Thank you,
Cristina M. Finch
Policy and Advocacy Director, Women's Human Rights
Amnesty International USA
P.S. SHOCKING: A hashtag that roughly translates to 'Prostitutes of the Olympics' has been started on Twitter. Fortunately, people as horrified as we are have taken this hashtag over to support the female athletes instead. Help ussend overwhelming messages of support to all Saudi women on Twitter to help extinguish the hate.
At long last, Saudi Arabia has agreed to send women athletes to compete in the Olympics.
It's taken 116 years to do it, but for the first time in Summer Olympic history, every country competing will include women athletes. Today, during the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the torch for women's rights is also on display for the world to see.
But as you know, things aren't always as they appear on TV.
While Saudi women have been given a small opening to compete for Olympic glory on the world's stage, they still won't be able to enjoy basic rights such as getting behind the wheel of a car at home. The reality is shameful.
Let
Saudi officials know that the world will still be watching even when
the Olympics are over - tell Saudi authorities to let women drive!Restricting a woman's right to drive stems from a desire to limit a woman's independence. Saudi Arabia's leaders have relegated women to second class status by requiring them to ask their male guardian - typically a father, brother or husband - before they can even go out in public.
Want to marry? Ask your guardian. Want to work? Ask your guardian. Want to go to school, get on public transportation, or go to the doctor? That's right - your guardian must give his approval first.
And don't even think about playing a sport - even going to the gym is restricted. In fact, the athletes competing for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics have only been able to achieve their successes within the sport because they do not practice in the country.
Stand up for women's equality - behind the wheel of a car, in a sports arena, inside the home and throughout Saudi Arabia!
Get the message to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah - I support Saudi women's right to drive.Just over a year ago, women in Saudi Arabia launched a powerful campaign asking women with international driver's licenses to do a crazy thing - drive. This came after one woman was sentenced to receive 10 lashes for being caught behind the wheel of a car.
The result was inspiring1. Despite the risks of arrest and harsh punishment, women took to the kingdom's roads, spurring the movement to overturn the ban on driving forward.
More signs, like King Abdullah's promise to allow women to vote in the 2015 election, are growing proof that the tides are changing and barriers blocking women's rights are beginning to erode.
However, if Saudi Arabia truly wants to "go for gold" this summer, it should lift all restrictions on women's basic freedoms. Permitting two women to aim for their Olympic dreams is a start, but let's not stop until women can freely pursue their own dreams…whatever they may be.
Thank you,
Cristina M. Finch
Policy and Advocacy Director, Women's Human Rights
Amnesty International USA
P.S. SHOCKING: A hashtag that roughly translates to 'Prostitutes of the Olympics' has been started on Twitter. Fortunately, people as horrified as we are have taken this hashtag over to support the female athletes instead. Help us
send overwhelming messages of support to all Saudi women on Twitter to help extinguish the hate.
Learn more about Women2Drive campaign: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/saudi-women2drive-anniversary
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/saudi-women2drive-anniversary
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