Case Study #1
"We will continue, God willing, to hold the straight course that this country has followed since its establishment by the late King Abdulaziz" - Salman Al-Saud, King of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a nation known for its extremely conservative views that have created large imbalances of power, and the government places severe limitations on free speech to ensure it remains that way. Women in Saudi Arabia, for example, are significantly less powerful than their male counterparts. Women cannot travel without the consent of their male guardians, are not allowed to choose their husbands, and are constantly faced with domestic violence.
Eman Al-Nafjan (as per her profile on her blog)
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Take Eman Al-Nafjan, for example. In 2008, she started blogging on saudiwoman.me, and her blog quickly became one of the most read blogs on Saudi Arabia worldwide. One issue that was prominently featured on Nafjan’s blog was the controversial ban on driving for women in Saudi Arabia, which has since been revoked, in part due to the heavy support Nafjan and other activists rallied against the ban. Activists such as Nafjan encouraged other women to speak out or take action against the ban, using their platforms to bring attention the voices of these women.
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Below are two examples of videos recorded by other women that Nafjan posted on her blog in hopes of garnering attention for them.
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Unfortunately, the largely-male government, hoping to retain their power, took severe action against those speaking or acting against the ban. As Nafjan states, “the government arrests and/or punishes not only women who drive but also anyone who attempts to raise this issue.” Even after the ban was eventually lifted, Nafjan and several other activists were arrested, striking fear in the hearts of other activists, sending them ‘into hibernation’ (Aljazeera), and stalling the growing civil rights movement. In summation, when the government takes away the voices of these women, making reform significantly harder for them, it allows the powerful to retain their power while the powerless are denied an opporunity to gain power.
"Hundreds, if not thousands, of women have driven both in protest and because they have no other option" - Eman Al-Nafjan
Case Study #2: ChinaIt often goes unnoticed, but censorship can affect power in a more subtle way, and it can be seen in the censorship capital of the world: China.
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