The brave assertion was followed by the request to remain anonymous.
“I’m still working on maturing her braveness,” she added, smiling.
When interviewed, Saudi women tend to agree on three points— the ban on driving has nothing to do with the rules of Islam; there is a psychological and financial toll for depending on others for many simple tasks; and there is a paradox of claiming so much respect for women but treating them like children.
“As far as I know, a queen rules and commands an entire nation; while I have to ask permission for anything,” said the young Saudi woman.
However, when it comes to facing the issue concretely, women tend to underline the possible dire consequences of directly challenging the system and their desire not to harm their families’ security and reputation. With some of the wealthiest Saudi women, another issue that affects their willingness to challenge the driving ban is their wish to continue with a life that, although imperfect, is far easier than the one many Western women face every day.  “Why should I fight for my rights if my family is wealthy enough to ensure me a stress-free and comfortable life?” is a common refrain in high society. And what about women who are not so privileged? What about freedom of choice, the essence of human dignity? Golden cages are worth sacrificing personal freedoms?
Women in Saudi Arabia are not just prohibited from driving and voting in municipal elections but also from working and traveling without permission from a male guardian (usually a father, brother or husband). These limitations not only oblige women to depend on others but represent a financial burden for the employment of drivers. The prohibition for women to drive has always been an unwritten but commonly understood law here.
In 1990, after about 60 women drove their cars in Riyadh. They faced severe punishments including work and travel bans, and ever since remained silent about their efforts.
But now times have changed, especially thanks to the advent of the Web and, more recently, the Arab Spring that seem to have generated the ideal conditions for the Women2Drive campaign, the first attempt to break a 20-year lull in the Saudi women’s right-to-drive movement.
     According to some media reports, the current atmosphere surrounding Arab regimes was likely to produce a more tolerant environment in which to demand more rights. But Saudi women failed to seize the opportunity.
Inspired by the online campaigns that led to uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, some women activists organized themselves through online social networking. Their invitation to disobey the ban on driving was particularly successful in gaining international solidarity and attention, but the common excitement hardly spread out from the Web.
On June 17, a few dozen of women at best dared getting behind the wheel. The other millions limited themselves to moral support on Twitter and Facebook.
“Even if I were to join the initiative, I would need a car and a driver’s license,” said Sarah Al-Dhaban, a 30-year-old woman from Jeddah. “In other words, I would need to steal the keys of the car or have the total support of a man from the family.” Nevertheless women who hold international licenses and could make an effort to find approval within the family are considerable more than the few who protested on June 17, especially women belonging to the wealthiest families of Saudi Arabia.
The main push for women’s rights in the Kingdom is led stressing the collective useful and practical improvements that would come from women who are given the basic freedom of movement and the right to work. The general auspice is to go through a gradual cultural change nourished by media encouragement, governmental support and an improvement in women’s education.
Regardless of these efforts, history teaches that a bit of braveness is important to obtain results. It is a fact that individual determination of women like Al-Sharif, the Rosa Parks of Saudi Arabia, is allowing an extensive discussion of the issue at local and international levels. The chances to transform the debate into a concrete change will depend on people’s choice between comfort and freedom. This point of course does not regard women only.