10 of the most inspirational political events of 2018

6. Saudi Arabia let women drive

This one is decidedly a mixed bag, given the motivations and nation involved, but for the women of Saudi Arabia, the right to drive themselves around without a male chaperone is a huge step.

In June of this year, Saudi women were finally allowed to drive, following a September 2017 decree issued by Saudi King Salman. This followed years of protest, including women driving and subsequently being arrested by authorities, since at least the 1990s. Eventually, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was left as the only nation on Earth in which women were explicitly forbidden to drive motor vehicles of any sort.

Why the mixed bag? Women in Saudi Arabia still face considerable discrimination, especially under the provision that they must have permission from a male guardian for relatively mundane tasks like applying for jobs, traveling out of the country, going to the doctor, and getting married. Activists like Wajeha al-Huwaider have attempted to bypass these rules and bring greater international attention to the issue, though with mixed results.

Saudi Arabia, after all, is one of the few remaining absolute monarchies left on the planet. That means that practically all major decisions have to be signed off on by King Salman. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has gained a great portion of power recently and has been pushing for greater modernization in an attempt to secure Saudi Arabia’s international future. However, the Crown Prince’s reputation has been seriously marred by his alleged involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

A significant number of Saudi citizens have expressed their support for greater women’s rights, but, so far, the biggest move has been the removal of the driving ban.