For the time in history, women were allowed to vote in national elections in Saudi Arabia. A few women were even elected to government offices.

This turn of events must be especially gratifying for Aisha Almana, a 1970 UO graduate, who has for many years been a pioneering advocate for equality, justice and freedom for Saudi women. Almana, perhaps best known for leading a 1991 protest in which women broke the law by driving themselves, is also the first Saudi woman from the country's Eastern Province to earn a doctorate.

Read the full story in Oregon Quarterly: http://www.oregonquarterly.com/driving