In Saudi Arabia there is a law banning all women from driving. If anyone defies this ban, they are punished severely.

Loujain Al Hathloul is a 24 year old woman and activist who wants the Saudi Government to stop arresting women for driving their cars. On November 30th, she decided to to take action by driving up to the Saudi border from UAE, where she lives, in a car she owns, with a valid UAE drivers license. Everything on the UAE side of the boarder went smoothly as they do not discriminate against women drivers.

When she got to the Saudi border and demanded to be let through, they confiscated her passport and made her wait in the car overnight while the Ministry of Interior deliberated what to do with her open defiance.

Loujain communicated with her friends and supporters that she was cold and hungry. So Maysaa Al Amoudi, a Saudi woman journalist based in Dubai, took the long drive to get supplies to her. When Maysaa arrived at the Saudi border, she was ordered to park her car and wait. An hour later, both Loujain and Maysaa were ordered to drive their cars through into Saudi soil. As soon as they did, they found officers and prison guards waiting to arrest them.

They have been in prison since December 1st. As of writing this, their families have been informed that both women will be held for at least another 25 days that might be extended to another 25.

Please join us to tell the Saudi government that women should not be arrested simply for being women!