For Women In Saudi Arabia, Reforms Beckon With A New Era

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - JUNE 23: Raghda Safdar, 36, a university administrator and a divorced mother of three, pauses during a run while wearing an abaya designed specifically for sports on a bicycle road along the Corniche seafront on June 23, 2018 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. "I won't need anyone to drive me anymore," she says of the upcoming lifting of the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia and says she looks forward to the independence it will give her. The Saudi government, under Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, is phasing in an ongoing series of reforms to both diversify the Saudi economy and to liberalize its society. The reforms also seek to empower women by restoring them basic legal rights, allowing them increasing independence and encouraging their participation in the workforce. Saudi Arabia is among the most conservative countries in the world and women have traditionally had much fewer rights than men. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)