We began this unit on women's rights and ended with the Arab Spring. It is interesting to see the two of them merge together in the fight for Saudi Arabian women to drive. Manal al Sharif is just one example of the women who are standing up against the social and political norms to claim their rights. This TED talk is from the summer but just this last weekend some women in Saudi Arabia continued their challenge:
For me one of the most amazing things about the ban on woman drivers in Saudi Arabia is, as al Sharif says, there is no actual law against it, only custom and tradition. The nonviolent demonstrations by these women make me wonder if their fight falls within Asef Bayat's definition of a "nonmovement" or if it is more organized and homogeneous. My question to everyone is if you believe these women will be more successful fighting an oppressive society by organizing together and acting as one or remaining dispersed and individual. The nonmovements outlined by Bayat that define the Arab Spring have proven successful at toppling repressive regimes. Can they also topple repressive societies?
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