Saudi Women Train Drivers: Where the religion of Islam started with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, Saudi Arabia is known as a staunch Islamic country. Saudi Arabia is a country where Islamic Law (Sharia Law) is implemented and women do not have equal rights with men. Where women are told to stay in purdah and 4 witnesses are considered necessary to prove the crime of rape. However, now the winds of change have started blowing in this country.
Now women in Saudi Arabia can drive freely. Under the rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, women have been given many rights here. Including the right to drive given in 2018. After getting this right, women in the country are getting themselves licenses to drive cars, bikes and heavy vehicles. At the same time, some women have started doing such jobs, where men dominate.
Women driving high-speed train in Saudi Arabia
Now take the driving of the train itself… So Saudi Arabia is that Muslim country today, where women will be seen driving the train at a speed of 300 km. Here Mecca, which is considered the holiest city for Islamic followers, is also agreeing to women drivers. A woman named Thara Ali (Driver Tharaa Ali) is one such train driver, who operates a high speed train carrying Islamic followers to Mecca. According to a report, she had applied last year for the vacancy for women drivers in Harman High Speed Railway. At that time more than 28000 applications came for only 32 seats.
Female drivers even in well-known Islamic cities
Many Islamic scholars are not happy with this change, but the stubbornness of women and the questions raised on the Saudi government in the world forced the government to do so. Now when the train driver here, Thara Ali, runs the train at a speed of 300 km, then it is discussed all over the world. It is said that she runs high speed trains at a speed of 280-300 kilometers per hour on a 450 kilometer track between cities like Mecca and Medina.
Thara Ali was earlier an English teacher, now she drives a train
The special thing about Thara Ali is that she was earlier an English teacher, but then she took advantage of the change made by the Saudi government and completed training as a driver of high speed railway. She says that doing this work was like a dream for me. Entering the train, opening the cabin door was very special for me. Thanks to Allah, with training, I have gained confidence in myself…and here today I and other women like me are driving.
Increased role of women in jobs
Nowadays women are getting recruited a lot in jobs in Saudi Arabia. It is believed that the proportion of women in jobs here has more than doubled since 2016. Currently, 37% of Saudi women are employed, compared to 17% in 2016. However, the unemployment rate of women is still very high here. Talking about last year itself, the unemployment rate for women was 20.5%, whereas for Saudi men this rate was only 4.3%.
The woman who was earlier against this profession also started running the train.
The shocking thing is that a woman in Saudi Arabia who was earlier unhappy with the recruitment of women in railways, was against this kind of job. Later she also joined Saudi Railways. His name is Ranim Ajauj. She told that she has recently joined the Railways. Now she says that women have proved themselves here. There is no difference between them and men.
Many other women drivers said that whatever they wanted, the government has given them that right. However, there are many such laws in Saudi, in which women are yet to get concession. Women feel that with time that change will also come.