Saudi women pressing for rights

'Saudi Women Revolution' makes a stand for equal rights
By Catriona Davies, for CNN
May 4, 2011 -- Updated 1604 GMT (0004 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Women recently turned away from registering for municipal elections around Saudi Arabia
* "Saudi Women Revolution" began as a Facebook and Twitter campaign
* Women are campaigning for end to male guardianship

(CNN) -- As election centers across Saudi Arabia opened on April 23 for voters to register for forthcoming municipal elections, groups of women turned up asking to take part.

As expected, they were turned away -- women will not be able to stand or vote in September's municipal elections -- but just by showing up they had made their point.

This was one of the first public acts of the newly-formed "Saudi Women Revolution," a movement set up to campaign for the end of Saudi Arabia's discriminatory laws.

Their chief aim is ending male guardianship, which means Saudi women often need permission from their husband, father, brother or even son to work, travel, study, marry, or access health care, according to Human Rights Watch.

They also want to be allowed to drive, which is forbidden for women in the Kingdom.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/05/04/saudi.women.revolution.rights/index.html?hpt=Sbin