Souad Al-Shammari, also transcribed as Souad Al-Shammary, and Suad Al-Shammari (, born July 5, 1966) is a Saudi Arabian women's rights activist. She is well known for her opposition to Saudi Arabia's guardianship system which subordinates women's

autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ...

to the authority of male guardians. She has taken part in campaigns to lift the ban on women driving cars in Saudi Arabia. She is also the head of the Saudi Arabian Liberals Network, which is a network of activists peacefully calling for social and political reform and was associated with the activism of blogger and journalist Raif Badawi, co-founding the Saudi Liberal Network, and helped his wife

Ensaf Haidar Ensaf Haidar ( ar, إنصاف حيدر; born 1975) is a Saudi-Canadian human rights activist. Born in Jizan, Saudi Arabia, Haidar is the wife of Raif Badawi, a Saudi writer, dissident and activist who was sentenced to ten years in prison and ...

and their three children leave the country to avoid Raif's father claiming custody of them due to Raif's arrest. Al-Shammari was detained without charge on 28 October 2014 after a four-hour interrogation session at the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution in

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...

and released on 29 January 2015 after signing a pledge to stop or "reduce" her activism.

References

Saudi Arabian feminists Living people 1966 births {{SaudiArabia-bio-stub

See also

References