Yesterday, I saw something that I never really appreciated until it happened. I was a passenger in a car driving back home around midnight when I saw a woman with her head covered driving a taxi with a man in the backseat.
It was a moment of pure enlightenment. This woman was employed in a role typically held by men and many would consider dangerous for a woman. Yet, here she was. Covered elegantly in a white hijab with only her face visible. She was driving a man who was hunched over looking at his cell phone with unkempt and shabby hair.
I've heard of taxis for women driven by women as a safety protocol for those women conscious or uncomfortable driving with a stranger-man; but in this moment this woman was doing the driving and the common roles held universally were reversed.
From what I've seen, Dubai is very modern and a true metropolis. Even though it is Ramadan and there are a few imposed regulations regarding entertainment, the city still has a lot of vibrancy and life. I've seen women covered head to toe in silky black cloth with only their beautiful eyes glimmering through and then other women with their shoulders bare and in tight clothes and heels. No one really says anything to either one.
To see that woman in the taxi, who must have been in her twenties or early thirties, was a moment of pride for women everywhere. She was working in the evening (which according to my research is allowed with special permission) and is making a living for herself in a profession that is semi-risky for women in general. I tried looking for a separation screen but couldn't see it unless it was clear and didn't catch any glare in the quick glimpse that I saw the taxi.
I realized that there is a chance to live in a world where social barriers can be broken and hopefully we can move into an era where we don't treat each other to trivial subjugations such as gender classes, stereotypes or prejudices. We are all human and at the root of our interactions, that should be the most important prioritization in how we function as a society.
It was a moment of pure enlightenment. This woman was employed in a role typically held by men and many would consider dangerous for a woman. Yet, here she was. Covered elegantly in a white hijab with only her face visible. She was driving a man who was hunched over looking at his cell phone with unkempt and shabby hair.
I've heard of taxis for women driven by women as a safety protocol for those women conscious or uncomfortable driving with a stranger-man; but in this moment this woman was doing the driving and the common roles held universally were reversed.
From what I've seen, Dubai is very modern and a true metropolis. Even though it is Ramadan and there are a few imposed regulations regarding entertainment, the city still has a lot of vibrancy and life. I've seen women covered head to toe in silky black cloth with only their beautiful eyes glimmering through and then other women with their shoulders bare and in tight clothes and heels. No one really says anything to either one.
To see that woman in the taxi, who must have been in her twenties or early thirties, was a moment of pride for women everywhere. She was working in the evening (which according to my research is allowed with special permission) and is making a living for herself in a profession that is semi-risky for women in general. I tried looking for a separation screen but couldn't see it unless it was clear and didn't catch any glare in the quick glimpse that I saw the taxi.
I realized that there is a chance to live in a world where social barriers can be broken and hopefully we can move into an era where we don't treat each other to trivial subjugations such as gender classes, stereotypes or prejudices. We are all human and at the root of our interactions, that should be the most important prioritization in how we function as a society.
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