Publication

Explanations for women's situation in Saudi Arabia often include factors such as radical religious tradition and conservative social and cultural norms. The speaker at this Chatham House event proposes a different interpretation that situates the issue in the structural context of an authoritarian state that denies both men and women basic civil and political rights. She discusses the recent 'mobilization' of Saudi women – which included a driving campaign and the feminization of lingerie shops – in the context of the Arab Spring.