Loujain al Hothloul was named as one of the most influential women by Time magazine, because of her constant fight for women's rights in Saudi Arabia. She has been campaigning and working with other activists in the country for years. One of the major changes she was working on for years was the driving ban that was been lifted last year.
Who is Loujain and what is her cause?
Loujain al Hathloul is one of the biggest female activists in Saudi Arabia and her purpose is to fight for the freedom of women’s rights in the country. Loujain uses her power as an activist on social media platforms, gaining a lot of young supporters who believe in her idea for a change in the country.
Even though she had been arrested countless times in Saudi Arabia, she still is continuing her fight on being an activist in the country for the younger generation of women in Saudi Arabia.
In 2016 Loujain, along with activist Eman al- Nafjan, signed a petition which gained more than 14,000 signatures and it was addressed to Salman bin Abdulaziz the King of Saudi Arabia requesting him to abolish the male guardianship system.
Loujain offered release from prison
Last year, Loujain along with other female activists in the country were arrested because the Saudi officials said that they were harming Saudi interests and offering their support to opposing views abroad. Last year was also a huge break for the women's rights because the law that did not allow the women to drive in the country was finally been lifted.
Several rights groups across the country mentioned that the female activists who were arrested were subject to abuse including electric shocks, flogging, and inappropriate assault. However, Saudi officials denied those allegations.
Loujain had initially signed a document handed to her by the Saudi government officials, stating that she denies being a subject to torture and harassment, according to a tweet from her brother Walid.
According to The Guardian, "Loujain al-Hathloul has rejected a proposal to secure her release from prison in exchange for a video statement denying reports she was tortured in custody, her family said."
One of Loujain's relatives mentioned that Saud al Qahtani, a senior advisor to the Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, was seen during some of the torture session she had undergone and threatened to kill her.
as well as have his way with her first. The Saudi public prosecutor investigated this issue and stated that the allegations were false.
Loujain is one of the many activists who is making history in the country when it comes to fighting for women's rights. As her fight continues there have already been a lot of improvements in the country. One of the successful changes is that women are now allowed to obtain a personal passport without male guardianship.
