Eye on the world: Equal rights for women

In “Saudi Arabia hands women the keysThe Christian Science Monitor’s Editorial Boardreports that “On Sept. 27, [Saudi Arabia’s] government announced that the ban on female driving would be lifted, starting next year. The decision reflects not only a shift in thinking about human rights but a desire to develop modern skills among half its population, women, who are still largely kept out of the new, non-oil industries. [Saudi Arabia’s] crown prince sees the future of the economy as knowledge-based, one that relies far less on oil and more on the traits of its people. And in today’s global economy, traits such as collaboration, openness, and flexibility—which women score highly on, according to research—are in high demand by high-tech companies…. Saudi Arabia’s royalty still have far to go to liberate women from the so-called guardian system, a tribal tradition in which male relatives control many of the activities of women. But by lifting the driving ban, the regime has crossed a big threshold, both in the eyes of many Saudis and the world. The country’s global competitiveness may only rise as it raises the innovative capacity of its people, especially its women.”

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