Saudi Woman Defies Driving Ban to Save Man’s Life

This Saudi Arabian woman is being hailed as a hero for saving the life of a bus driver who suffered a stroke while on the job.

Saudi Arabia is the only country where women are not allowed to drive – but that didn’t stop 20-year-old Ashwaq al-Shamri from getting behind the wheel to save her bus driver’s life.

Ashwaq and her female friends were being transported home from university when the driver said that he felt dizzy. When he suddenly pulled over, the girls leapt into action, helping him off of the bus and running to a nearby store to get him cold water.

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Because the nearest hospital was miles away, Ashwaq drove the man to his house where his family was able to transport him the rest of the way.

The student says that her father taught her how to drive when she was a youngster so she could help out on their farm. Her father, upon hearing the news of her rescue, was extraordinarily proud of his daughter, according to The New Arab.

Many Saudi Arabian activists have rallied for the driving ban to be lifted, since the dated restriction survives only in the kingdom. Though there is no sign of the country allowing women to drive, they have been taking other small steps towards gender equality.

Earlier this week, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announced that women will finally be allowed to work, study, and seek health care without needing a man’s consent. Additionally, the country held its first public election in which woman could vote and run for office. The election, which was held in December 2015, voted in 20 different women to public office.

Click To Share This Inspiring Story With Your Friends (Photo by Robert Reed Daly, CC)