Samar Badawi (1981 - )

Sun Jun 28, 1981

Image

Image: **

Samar Badawi, born on this day in 1981, is a Saudi Arabian feminist activist who participated in the driving campaigns of 2011-12, sued the government for the right to vote, and was imprisoned by the state for her activism. Her brother, Raif Badawi, is also a civil rights activist who was imprisoned by the government, released on March 11th, 2022.

In 2011, Samar filed suit against the Saudi Arabian government for the right to vote, making her the first person to file a lawsuit for women’s suffrage in the country.

Samar has been arrested multiple times for her activism and non-compliance with laws that restrict rights for women. This includes participating in a women’s driving campaign, violating the law that prohibits women from driving, a law that was repealed in 2018.

After Badawi missed several trial dates relating to charges of disobedience under the Saudi Arabian male guardianship system (brought by her father, who physically abused her), she served six months in jail.

In 2018, Badawi and several other feminist activists were arrested by the Saudi authorities, sparking a major diplomatic dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia when the former demanded Badawi’s immediate release. In June 2021, Badawi was released from prison.