Samar Badawi Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Samar Badawi
Badawi at the 2012 International Women of Courage Awards
Born	Samar bint Muhammad Badawi (1981-06-28) 28 June 1981 (age 43)
Nationality	Saudi
Known for	Legal conflict with father over male guardianship, women's suffrage lawsuit, women to drive movement
Spouse(s)	Waleed Abulkhair (m. 2010; div. 2015)
Children	1 son, 1 daughter
Relatives	Raif Badawi (brother) Ensaf Haidar (sister-in-law)

Samar bint Muhammad Badawi (Arabic: سمر بدوي; born 28 June 1981) is a brave human rights activist from Saudi Arabia. She is known for standing up for women's rights in her country. Samar has faced many challenges, including legal battles with her own father and the government. Her efforts have helped bring attention to important issues like women's right to drive and vote.

Samar Badawi's Early Challenges
Fighting for Voting Rights
Driving for Change
International Recognition
Standing Up for Human Rights
Later Arrests and Release
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Samar Badawi's Early Challenges

Samar Badawi had a difficult start. She and her father took each other to court. Her father accused her of not obeying him under a system called "male guardianship." This system means that women need a male guardian's permission for many things in their lives. Samar, in turn, accused her father of preventing her from marrying, which is a right for women.

Because she missed some court dates, Samar was arrested and put in prison in April 2010. Many people in Saudi Arabia and around the world supported her. They wanted her to be released. In July 2010, a court decided in Samar's favor. She was set free in October 2010, and her uncle became her new guardian. A group called Human Rights First Society said her imprisonment was "outrageous."

Fighting for Voting Rights

Samar Badawi also took legal action to help women vote. She tried to register for the 2011 local elections in Saudi Arabia. However, election centers would not let her register. Samar argued that there was no law stopping women from voting or running in elections. She said that refusing her was against the law.

She took her case to a special court. Samar asked the court to pause the elections until her case was decided. She also asked them to make the election officials register her. The court agreed to hear her case, but later said her request was "too early." The United States Department of State said Samar was the first person to sue for women's voting rights in Saudi Arabia.

Driving for Change

Samar Badawi also played a big part in the movement to allow women to drive. In 2011 and 2012, she drove her car regularly in Jeddah. She also helped other women who were driving and had problems with the police or courts. Samar believed there was no legal reason to put women on trial just for driving.

She said that women were "marginalized" in basic rights. She felt that giving women only a few political rights would not make them happy. In November 2011, Samar and another activist, Manal al-Sharif, filed lawsuits. They sued the traffic department for not giving them driver's licenses.

International Recognition

On March 8, 2012, Samar Badawi received a special award. The United States Department of State gave her the International Women of Courage Award. She earned this award for her pioneering lawsuits about marriage rights and voting rights. The award recognized her courage and how she inspired other women.

Standing Up for Human Rights

Samar continued her work for human rights. In 2014, she went to a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. She spoke about the situation of human rights activists in Saudi Arabia. She also talked about her husband, Waleed Abulkhair, who was also an activist and had been detained.

While in Geneva, Samar met with important officials. She then traveled to the U.S. to meet with senators and human rights groups. She said she received a threat from a Saudi official, telling her to stop her human rights work. When she returned to Saudi Arabia, her passport was taken away.

Later in 2014, Samar was stopped from leaving Saudi Arabia. She was going to attend a human rights meeting in Belgium. Officials at the airport told her that the Ministry of Interior had banned her from traveling.

Later Arrests and Release

Samar Badawi was arrested again in January 2016. She was taken to a police station with her young daughter. She was later moved to Dhahban Central Prison, where her brother, Raif Badawi, was also held. Human rights groups like Amnesty International spoke out against her arrest. They called it a "setback" for human rights in Saudi Arabia.

In July 2018, Samar Badawi was arrested once more, along with another activist, Nassima al-Sadah. She was again held in Dhahban Central Prison. Canada's government asked for her immediate release. This request caused a big disagreement between Canada and Saudi Arabia.

After serving her sentence, Samar Badawi was finally released from prison on June 27, 2021.

Samar Badawi facts for kids

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