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News that Saudi Arabia will allow women to drive has been in the news recently. It's been described as the only country that currently forbids women from driving, which makes me wonder about whether other countries recently forbade women from driving.

I thought I once heard that during the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, Kuwaiti women took advantage of the regime change by going driving, which the Kuwaiti government forbade. However, I couldn't find any evidence of this online, including looking at Women in Kuwait or Women's suffrage in Kuwait, though mentions of women driving is mentioned here ("can women drive in Kuwait") and here ("Kuwaiti men should know that human rights goes far beyond 'being allowed to drive', 'dressing as they like' and being 'allowed to acquire education'.")

Was this the case? Were women banned from driving in Kuwait prior to its invasion in 1990?

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  • @Downvoters - what's wrong? Insufficient research? – Andrew Grimm Oct 5 '17 at 10:52
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    I can't say for certain why you're receiving down-votes, but I'd guess that the reason(s) are somewhere in the answers to this question on meta. – sempaiscuba Oct 5 '17 at 10:58
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Finally, I must mention that women can work, drive, and wander freely in Kuwait-it is one of the least restrictive areas of the Middle East, although the freedom of the West is still a little distant. British Medical Journal, 1979

Apparently Kuwaiti women could drive in 1979, which should answer the question.

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