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More than three quarters (77 percent) Saudi Arabian residents have said they support the kingdom’s recent decision that gave women the right to drive in the country, although 23 percent said they were against the decision. Approval numbers were slightly higher among women (82 percent) than men (71 percent)
Saudi Arabia’s ruler King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a decree late last month giving women living in the kingdom the right to drive cars, ending a conservative tradition that had been frequently criticised by regional and international human rights groups.
On Sunday, the results of a new survey conducted by YouGov, an international market research company, said that one-fifth - 20 percent - of Saudi respondents said they were happy with the decision, followed by 19 percent who said they were indifferent, 12 percent said they were shocked while 10 percent said they were excited and another 10 percent said they were relieved by the decision.
On the other hand, those who opposed the decision listed reasons such as concerns about safety and cultural traditions. Thirty three percent of opponents said that there would be “too much freedom in society”, according to a press release announcing the results.
According to the release, the survey was conducted on 503 Saudi nationals - 50 percent of whom were women and 50 percent men. The respondents were also from various age groups ranging from 18 to over 50. They were also from different Saudi cities and of various educational backgrounds.
Some 63 percent of the women surveyed and 48 percent of the men gave “more freedom in the freedom of movement of women” as the main reason for their approval of the decree. Other reasons respondents gave for agreeing with the decision included considering driving to be a basic human right and expecting the decision to allow more women to work and have a positive impact on the economy.
For the full survey results, click here.
For more news on Saudi Arabia, click here.
© ZAWYA 2017
Saudi Arabia’s ruler King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a decree late last month giving women living in the kingdom the right to drive cars, ending a conservative tradition that had been frequently criticised by regional and international human rights groups.
On Sunday, the results of a new survey conducted by YouGov, an international market research company, said that one-fifth - 20 percent - of Saudi respondents said they were happy with the decision, followed by 19 percent who said they were indifferent, 12 percent said they were shocked while 10 percent said they were excited and another 10 percent said they were relieved by the decision.
On the other hand, those who opposed the decision listed reasons such as concerns about safety and cultural traditions. Thirty three percent of opponents said that there would be “too much freedom in society”, according to a press release announcing the results.
According to the release, the survey was conducted on 503 Saudi nationals - 50 percent of whom were women and 50 percent men. The respondents were also from various age groups ranging from 18 to over 50. They were also from different Saudi cities and of various educational backgrounds.
Some 63 percent of the women surveyed and 48 percent of the men gave “more freedom in the freedom of movement of women” as the main reason for their approval of the decree. Other reasons respondents gave for agreeing with the decision included considering driving to be a basic human right and expecting the decision to allow more women to work and have a positive impact on the economy.
For the full survey results, click here.
For more news on Saudi Arabia, click here.
© ZAWYA 2017
