In the United States, we take it for granted that we’ll all get the opportunity to learn to drive a car, take a test, and use a motor vehicle of our own choosing (or our parents’) to take us where we need to go. With the exception of those of us who live in tightly packed cities and rely on the bus, most of us use cars to travel (and even some people in the cities still continue to use cars).

This is not so for many other countries. When I lived in Spain I discovered that it was very expensive and difficult to get a license, and that the public transportation was so decent and reliable that you didn’t even miss driving. I really wish that I could use the bus, train, and other forms of transportation like I did there when I am at home, but we just don’t have it in our area.

But at least there is the possibility of driving in Spain and other developed nations; that is more than you can say for women in Saudi Arabia. Like our female ancestors fought for the right to vote less than 100 years ago (can you believe that?), the women in Saudi Arabia are fighting for the right to take themselves where they need to go today.

The women in the country are on the precipice of a driving rebellion. Starting on June 17, Women2Drive will launch, and women who are staging driving demonstrations are already being arrested for just getting behind the wheel (along with the men who assist them). Women have high hopes that this campaign will be successful, as the previous campaign the country held back in the ‘90s fell through, with the participants being arrested and even losing their jobs.

I just wish that there was something we could do to help these women get the right to drive themselves. Be sure to follow along on their Twitter site, linked to above, to see how their campaign goes and to offer support in any way you can.