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Saudi Arabia allows women to drive! Made sensational headlines in many parts of the world.
The decision was called a major milestone for the country!
Women rejoiced as did many liberal men. I did too despite not being either.
Unfortunately however, neither I nor most people who welcomed this news think far enough about the matter.
In India, in one of our states, the news has sent alarm bells ringing.
Is this the butterfly effect or the doctrine of double effect?
Frankly, the job loss in Kerala pales into insignificance when you consider the earth shattering change in the Saudi Arabian mindset that now has decided to emancipate their women albeit it is at least a century late. Admittedly the Mallus will fear the backlash, but I for one am more in the camp of bringing Saudi Arabia screaming into the 21st century rather than be worried about some minor job loss!
Barath, long time no hear. Have as many up votes on your comment as Ramana’s comment box is able to withstand without bursting at the seams.
U
Ursula recently posted..No sound
I am delighted too Barath. The purpose of the post was to point out the collateral damage!
I never knew there were so many men driving for Saudi women though it is obvious now you mention it!
The job loss is not minor, of course, for those who are about to become unemployed, hopefully they can transition into something else. Driving instructors will be needed but I can’t imagine that will be a job for men!
For Kerala and India, remittances from the Middle East has been a major source of foreign exchange earnings. Kerala particularly is almost 100% service economy and depends on remittances from within India and overseas to keep afloat.
My mind always boggled over the idea of women not being able to drive in India. To us, in most other industrialized countries, driving was never an issue, and we learned out of necessity. For one thing, many of us grew up in the country, and still live in suburban areas, so driving ourselves (and our children) from place to place was never questioned. At any rate, I’m so glad it has finally happened!
It is Saudi Arabia not India that is involved. Women have been driving in India for decades! My late mother and late wife both drove around as does my daughter in law and nieces all over now.
Yes, I hope the potential drivers find other jobs, but hurray for the women in Saudi Arabia!
Cheerful Monk recently posted..Fall
Yes, finally change is about to take place. Let us hope that it is a harbinger of better things for Saudi women.
now if they can just change the unbelievably hot heavy black robes they have to wear from head to toe…
how they keep cool in that climate dressed that way is unimaginable!
I think I would just probably die from heat and suffocation!
tammy j recently posted..moving on old bean
ah. it just dawned on me that I saw a documentary on young women in Saudi and they weren’t dressed all in black. so maybe I need to study it more carefully!
tammy j recently posted..moving on old bean
That is unlikely to happen any time soon Tammy. Strangely enough, though most indoor spaces in KSA are air conditioned, even out in the sun, the black apparently protects by keeping the body temperature safe though the outer temperature may be high. That is why umbrellas are black. They are used to shield from the sun too in sunny places.
The men should be grateful for the advanced warning. Saudi women driving is just an alarm for the inevitable re job loss in the future with self-driving cars, robots, so the men need to explore other work and not expend their energies fighting or blaming women for causing their job loss — it’s just a question of time. Will be real progress if women allowed to come out of the Middle Ages dress attire as the men allow themselves to do. Interesting how religion is sometimes applied or interpreted to justify oppression.
Joared recently posted..ATROCITY IN LAS VEGAS
While that is one way of looking at driving jobs, another is that perhaps the KSA rulers have seen the writing on the wall too! But, to expect the burkhas to go anytime soon will be expecting the near impossible.
wow…but how easy for the women to actually get their licences – there is bound to be rules in their way, even if it’s fabulous that this has happened.
And, they have very strict rules and also getting a driving licence is not all that easy in the Middle East.