Accidental Activism, with Manal Sharif

From radicalism, to launching a movement for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, to Sydney-sider passionate about ending discrimination based on gender: meet Mia.

Good news stories, and the humans behind them

Mia (Manal Al-Sharif) is an advocate for women’s rights, a computer scientist, and member of the Humans For Good team and wider community. She is also one of the most humble and inspiring people you’ll ever meet. Mia became an ‘accidental activist’ by simply taking action about the injustices that women faced in her home country; Saudi Arabia. Below is a small snapshot of her story, and perspective on issues relating to women in Australia.

What’s your story?

I grew up as a very radical Muslim in Saudi Arabia - covered up from top to toe and burning my brother’s cassettes. The internet came to Saudi, so I studied computer science and started reading about my worldview non-stop. Prior to this, I only had access to information that the government allowed us to read - so the internet was my window to the world. I ditched my radicalism and worked in cyber security, and then social media showed up and The Arab Spring happened.

There were a number of things that were forbidden for women. I had a personal struggle with being a criminal simply because I was born a female in my country. But my biggest challenge at that time was that I couldn’t drive my car, as a divorced mother with no men in my life.

Social media gave me a voice in a country where women do not have a voice. And so I used it to launch the Women2Drive campaign. Twitter, YouTube and Facebook really helped the movement succeed and us win the right to drive in the last country to allow this - and the most masculine society, on earth. In a nutshell, you can win if you have the tools and are persistent.

Tell us a little more about the Women2Drive campaign

In 2011, I was inspired by how the activists in The Arab Springs used social media to mobilise the masses and get their message heard. So I used a Facebook page to call for a day of action (as the leaders of The Arab Springs had done), which was June 17. We called on all women with international drivers licenses to drive on that day and post a video on YouTube to prove this.

In the lead-up, I needed to record myself driving in order to encourage other women to do the same. This video got me in trouble with the authorities, and I went to jail. My father needed to go to the king, the highest authority in the country, to get a pardon. It had one condition - that I remained silent, but I didn’t. I continued campaigning for seven years. Three months after I published my book Daring to Drive, the ban was lifted.

Social media got us heard and allowed us to connect with likeminded people locally and internationally. It helped us to publicise the struggle of Saudi women and receive solidarity from around the world. It gave us the voice and exposure that we could not have had without it. International pressure from women around the world made Women2Drive into a success story. It wasn’t one person, but people coming together.

I always say that the fight for women’s rights anywhere in the world contributes to women’s rights everywhere in the world. Saudi women fighting for the right to drive and be acknowledged as adults before the law is completely different than a fight against domestic violence for women in Australia. But there’s a sense of solidarity for being discriminated against, targeted or prevented from doing something because of your gender.

There’s beauty in women realising that whether you are Saudi, Australia, Indian, American, or from elsewhere - we are always in this together. Rather than comparing, or pitying those who don’t have the same experience as you, celebrate when women win rights. There’s a shared feeling and connection there.

In your opinion, what can we be doing better for women in Australia?

The things on the women’s agenda can be different from one country to another. But it comes back to this question - why are we being discriminated against for our gender?

When I visited a musical in Dubai, I was amazed that the conductor was female. My friend said that she hadn’t noticed and was just enjoying the show. It hit me that I want to live in a world where women can be anywhere, and we don’t need to point it out. This is an issue I see in Australia.

I also think that in general, in Australia it’s costly for a woman to have a job and have kids. You need to work and have two salaries in order to afford children. However, it’s extremely difficult to balance your career and raising a family. We need to change the work system so that it values those who would like to have kids. Women need communities and workplaces that not just support, but celebrate those who want to be parents. This is where Australia needs to go next.

We need to make changes to the workplace. The model that the workplace is built today is based on a UK mill in the 1800’s with an assembly line - the punch in and punch out, lunch hour, and weekends. We don’t need this any more. We should be focusing on results, rather than hours. The latter can be very harmful for mental health and employee engagement (this affects everyone, rather than only women).

Flexible work hours shouldn’t be a perk, but a right. I have a child with autism who needs a lot of support. I get my job done, and so I should be able to work from home without it ever being seen as a favour.

Do you have any tips for women (and men) out there?

Trust your gut and speak up. Women can suffer in silence and not voice issues - for example in the workplace, as it might seem that they’re not serious about their job. If it feels wrong, it’s because it is. When you see things that are unfair, unjust, or could be done better, don’t be afraid of being labelled as a trouble-maker, or seen as nagging or whining. Women can come in and challenge the system. Just because men are doing it, doesn’t mean it’s right. In fact women asked for flexible work hours - and now men want them!

Talk about salaries. Women also need to talk about salaries. I want women to ask each other ‘how much do you get paid?’ Your salary is not about your worth - it’s what you negotiate. And you can’t negotiate if you don’t have a reference point. This comes from asking around and others not being afraid to tell you. Knowledge is power, and it gives you the guts to go and ask for more.

Never think that your small actions don’t make a difference. For every catastrophic evil action, there are hundreds of small acts of kindness that outweigh it. The cumulative good builds up. Don’t feel disheartened and believe that we can’t create change. We can. My dream is to live in a world where there is no ‘activist’ title. That when we see someone who needs help, we step up and we speak up. I don’t think being indifferent is human nature. We survived hundreds of thousands of years because we lived in tribes and helped each other. Let’s do what makes us human.