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I’m sick and tired of the ignorant stereotypes and unfair generalizations that are constantly directed at women.
When I read on Wheels 24 about the ‘helpful driving tips’ given to the women of China by the Beijing police department, all I could say was, “For crying out loud, give us a break!”.
Basically, the Beijing police department doesn’t want women to drive wearing heels and advises that we remain calm and not panic when going the wrong way.
The police department found that female drivers often get lost when driving alone regardless of how many times they’ve travelled to that same destination and that new female drivers get on the road without releasing the hand break.
In the same month that the Beijing police department released the ‘helpful tips’ statement, the women of Saudi Arabia united in solidarity against their government’s ban on female driving. This ban inspired a Saudi comedian to spoof a Bob Marley classic No Woman No Cry and change it to No Woman No Drive.
The parody is quite amusing but also thought provoking. He shows us how silly such laws are and how they may be disguised as “protecting” women, but in actual fact it’s a form of control and oppression.
This ‘helpful advice’ reminds me of the old adage; The more things change the more they stay the same. I’m tempted to say that men will always want to oppress women but then my intelligence reminds me that this would be an unfair generalisation as not all men want to control the way women think and behave.
I’m not denying that there are bad female drivers in the world but for every bad female driver there’s a good one. The same applies to men. A person’s ability to drive is not dependent on their gender. Driving requires cognitive and motor skills - an ability that improves the more time a person spends behind the wheel.
I don’t know, maybe being discriminated against for one reason or another is a social burden women will always have to carry. The best we can do as women is stand up for our rights to function in society as equal human beings and protest against any sexist subjugation society tries to throw at us.
So, this afternoon, dear women, as you drive back home or to meet up with your girlfriends for sundowners, be sure to do so wearing your favourite pair of heels (or any other pair of great looking, comfy shoes. It’s up to you) while blasting Katy Perry’s Roar. If men don’t want to see us on the road then they’ll just have to settle for hearing us.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
When I read on Wheels 24 about the ‘helpful driving tips’ given to the women of China by the Beijing police department, all I could say was, “For crying out loud, give us a break!”.
Basically, the Beijing police department doesn’t want women to drive wearing heels and advises that we remain calm and not panic when going the wrong way.
The police department found that female drivers often get lost when driving alone regardless of how many times they’ve travelled to that same destination and that new female drivers get on the road without releasing the hand break.
In the same month that the Beijing police department released the ‘helpful tips’ statement, the women of Saudi Arabia united in solidarity against their government’s ban on female driving. This ban inspired a Saudi comedian to spoof a Bob Marley classic No Woman No Cry and change it to No Woman No Drive.
The parody is quite amusing but also thought provoking. He shows us how silly such laws are and how they may be disguised as “protecting” women, but in actual fact it’s a form of control and oppression.
This ‘helpful advice’ reminds me of the old adage; The more things change the more they stay the same. I’m tempted to say that men will always want to oppress women but then my intelligence reminds me that this would be an unfair generalisation as not all men want to control the way women think and behave.
I’m not denying that there are bad female drivers in the world but for every bad female driver there’s a good one. The same applies to men. A person’s ability to drive is not dependent on their gender. Driving requires cognitive and motor skills - an ability that improves the more time a person spends behind the wheel.
I don’t know, maybe being discriminated against for one reason or another is a social burden women will always have to carry. The best we can do as women is stand up for our rights to function in society as equal human beings and protest against any sexist subjugation society tries to throw at us.
So, this afternoon, dear women, as you drive back home or to meet up with your girlfriends for sundowners, be sure to do so wearing your favourite pair of heels (or any other pair of great looking, comfy shoes. It’s up to you) while blasting Katy Perry’s Roar. If men don’t want to see us on the road then they’ll just have to settle for hearing us.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
