Mr. Speaker, over the weekend women in Saudi Arabia made international headlines when they did something that we all take for granted: drive a car.
Participating in the Women2Drive campaign, these women posted videos to YouTube of themselves simply driving around town. The result? Fourteen women were arrested and detained by Saudi authorities for violating the decades-long ban against women drivers.
Today, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that does not allow women to drive. Fourteen women must now wait in fear of punishment for exercising a right that is afforded almost universally.
This must change. The Saudi kingdom must recognize the rights of its citizens. It is unconscionable that such double standards continue to exist in our world today.
I salute the bravery of these women and condemn their arrests. Our government is proud to stand beside these women in their fight for basic rights.