When Manal al-Sharif took the wheel in 2011 despite the driving ban for women in Saudi Arabia and then published a video of it on YouTube, the authorities, wary due to the ongoing Arab Spring demonstrations, placed the computer expert in jail. Al-Sharif sat with other women in a narrow, dirty cell for nine days, and then was freed as a result of a worldwide storm of protest headed by Hillary Clinton. In her autobiographical narrative »Daring to Drive: a Saudi Woman’s Awakening«, the author tells of her campaign for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia.
An information security consultant and founder of »women2drive«, Manal al-Sharif is one of the most famous women’s rights activists in the Arab world. She has received numerous awards, including the Václav Havel Prize. Time Magazine ranked her among the 100 most influential people in the world.
Performers
Manal al-Sharif reading
Katja Weise moderation