Three female pilots have taken to the skies and tarmac to highlight the ridiculous laws of oppression still being used in Saudi Arabia.
The all female pilot crew of Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy, Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah Pg Khashiem and Senior First Officer Sariana Nordin flew a commercial service from Brunei to Saudi Arabia on Brunei’s National Day, 23 February.
Admittedly this doesn’t really sound all that newsworthy on its own. But the women’s presence was used to point out the ludicrous and blatantly sexist laws that are still in place in Saudi Arabia.
Because despite being able to operate a commercial plane, should any of the women have attempted to drive a road vehicle while in the kingdom, they would have faced immediate arrest.
Time to call your husband and ask for a lift home from work, ladies.
While technically there is no particular law in place that prohibits women from driving in Saudi Arabia, women are unable to apply for or obtain a driver’s licence and are arrested if found to be behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that does not allow women to drive, however the support for groups like Saudi Women to Drive are growing in popularity.
Bruneian Captain Sharifa Czarena Surainy became the first female captain of a Southeast Asian flag carrier airline three years ago.
Speaking to the Brunei Times upon her appointment in 2012, Surainy said “Being a pilot, people normally see it as being a male dominant occupation.
“As a woman, as a Bruneian woman, it is such a great achievement. It’s really showing the younger generation or the girls especially that whatever they dream of they can achieve it.”
Watch Captain Sharifa Czarena Surainy’s appointment in the video below (post continues after video)
Despite an increasing push to allow women to drive, Saudi officials have spent years citing all sorts of reasons for the driving ban.
The excuses range from fears driving will effect the positioning of a woman’s pelvis and cause childbirth complications to suggestions freedom behind the wheel will lead to freedom in the sheets.
Sounds like, smells like and looks like oppression to us, gentlemen.
Top Comments
Shrug, father gets off plane and hugs his kid, even though he is moved away from unaccompanied minor on the flight just for being male.
I get your point, but can't we be mad at both things? It doesn't have to be a competition.
Yeah of course. One could also point out that if one of the flight stewards was homosexual he or she could also face the death penalty for being gay. Then again, you probably don't want to be a Jew either on that flight.
The irony is into the 1950s the Kingdom was broke and taking foreign aid, nobody would care about the place except for the oil and the Haj. America is achieving energy independence again after decades, something we should be doing as well instead of the anti fossil fuel zealots getting coverage above their size in the media.
Uh huh. Thanks for showing us what a positive and non personal post is like.
Don't you sometimes feel that women seem to get a heck of a lot of attention, praise, awards and recognition for doing stuff men just do? I think sometimes it's the insipid sexism of lower expectations.
Oh, you drive a haul pack in an open cut mine... Well look at you! Good girl! You're such an inspiration. This is a victory for all women. Let's write an article about you and get you on a speaking tour. Meanwhile the 12 other guys just drive their trucks and nobody says anything to them.
Didn't think I called you female, but thanks for the clarification. Woman pilot lands a plane in Saudi Arabia. Great, street parade if you want, but thousands of planes a day are landed by pilots, it's not that special, unless it seems if it's a woman doing it.
One day we will have equality when nobody cares about the gender of someone just doing what other people do all the time. I think women are as good as men and it's sexist and patronising to single them out as noteworthy for doing what men just do.