Manama: A Saudi film producer said that she is resorting to short videos to help change the growing prejudices against Saudi women driving.
Women will be allowed to drive for the first time in Saudi Arabia in late June after the necessary logistics, including opening driving schools, are taken.
The decision has been warmly welcomed as the fulfillment of women’s rights in the country, but several people took to social media to express doubts about the aptitudes of women to drive amid claims they would compound the chaotic driving situation in several cities, especially when they drive their children to school.
However, Haya Al Suwayed has rejected the claims and produced a short clip, “For Your Sake, For Our Sake”, using children as its characters and posted it on YouTube to make people reconsider their prejudices.
“I believe that correcting concepts should begin with children and the young generation,” she said. “Children are the cornerstone of society and I have a keen interest in their issues. It is important to talk about the safety of children in the car, change the perception of the community towards women driving cars and dispelling the widespread fears and rumors that women will not succeed as drivers and will always cause accidents,” she said, quoted by Saudi daily Okaz on Wednesday.
Haya added that the message of the clip could be best said by the children.
“Many children are anticipating the day when their mother will drive them to school. The clip focuses on the intimate feelings between the mother and her children. These are reflected in small details, such as the mother preparing breakfast for her child or packing his bag,” she said.
“The ultimate aim is to change perceptions and refute allegations that are spreading around that women should not be trusted to drive their children to school.”
Haya has posted several clip with social themes on YouTube.
