Saudi women can now drive/Elizabeth Frances in town

At long last, women in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to drive starting  in June next year. The ban ends a long standing policy  that has been viewed as “the global symbol” of the oppression of women in the ultraconservative kingdom. The  change is attributed to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king’s 32-year-old son who plans to “overhaul”  the kingdom’s economy and society. Saudi Arabia is  home to  Islam’s  holiest sites.

Many Saudi Arabian women and rights groups  have long worked for the lifting of the ban in the monarchy ruled according to Shariah law.  The law does  not allow women to travel abroad, work or undergo some medical procedures  without the consent of their male “guardian” – either  a father, a husband or even a son. Oppositors to the ban claim that allowing women to drive in Saudi culture  is inappropriate. Male drivers would not know how to handle having women in cars next to them, that allowing women to drive would lead to promiscuity and the collapse of the Saudi family. One cleric even claimed that driving harmed women’s ovaries.

In a news conference on Sept. 16 in the Saudi embassy in Washington, Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador, said women would be able to obtain driver’s license without having to ask the permission of their male guardians. Dissenting voices have been heard, like someone circulating an anonymous  text calling on the ”virtuous ones” to work against the change’s implementation to protect against epidemics, adultery and other disasters.

But Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador, said the decision would not be reversed or seriously opposed. Besides, letting women drive could help the Saudi economy. The kingdom, he said, is trying to push more citizens, including women,  into private sector employment. As of now, some working Saudi women  say hiring private drivers to get them to and from work eats up much of their pay. Some rely on ride-sharing apps like Uber and Careem.

The ban lift is another  big leap forward for women’s freedom of movement. In 2015, women were allowed to vote and to run for seats in the kingdom’s local councils.

Some members of  rights  groups who campaigned for the lifting of the ban have been arrested and jailed for defying the prohibition against driving.  In 2014, Loujain  Hathloul was arrested after trying to cross the border from the United Arab Emirates into Saudi Arabia and detained for 73 days. Her husband, Fahad Albuteiri,  who is  a well-known Saudi comedian, tweeted her, “:@LoujainHathloul I’m so proud of you.” And his wife tweeted back, “Thank god.”

As early as 1990, women held the kingdom’s first protest against the ban. Forty-seven women drove  around Riyadh, the Saudi capital, were promptly arrested, and some lost their jobs. Upon the announcement of the lifting of the ban, Fawziah al-Bakr, a Saudi university professor who participated in the rally, said, “It’s amazing.  . . Saudi women have been asking for the right to drive, and finally it arrived. We have been waiting for a very long time.”

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We will soon be able to watch the  attractive, statuesque actress Elizabeth Frances on Netflix. She plays the role of Prairie Flower, the love interest of the famous James Bond actor, Pierce Brosnan, in AMC’s latest hit series “The Son.” My keen interest in Elizabeth springs from her being the  daughter of my co-Sillimanite and roommate in a private boarding house in Malate, Manila that is now owned by fashion czar Pitoy Moreno.

I met Elizabeth when she was just three years old when  her folks spent a summer in  Manila, and learned about her interest in theater from  her parents who had established their residence in San Diego, Ca. Elizabeth was in Manila recently, and getting to know her was easy, as she stayed in the home of her mother’s sister, Gibet Antonio Bascara. She  was on a stopover  after  a honeymoon trip with her husband, Sigmund Watkins, which took them hopping from  Coron, Palawan, to  Bali, Indonesia. Sigmund is a  digital marketing manager.

“The Son,” which is  based on the book by Philipp Meyer and written by Meyer, Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy, is a multi-generational epic tale of the story of America’s birth as a superpower through the bloody rise and fall of one Texas family. Elizabeth plays the role of Prairie Flower, a member of the Comanche tribe and the first love of Eli McCullough (played by Brosnan), whose wealthy family is engaged in oil prospecting.  A Native actor on the film is Zahn McClarnon.

Elizabeth is described by publicists as best known for her countless on camera roles. She acted as troubled girlfriend Angela Maryboy in “Drunktown’s Finest,” which was produced by Robert Redford and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The title comes from a 1980s report on the ABC’s 20/20 about the substance abuse problems in Gallup, New Mexico. The film follows three Native youths, one of whom is a transsexual with whom Elizabeth, as Angelia Maryboy, has a relationship and bears their child.

Elizabeth  has starred in  the Emmy-nominated series “Her Story,” in NBC’s “Heartbeat,” and as Lilly Rowan on  Netflix’s “Love.” She has taken on a new role as executive producer in the upcoming film “Foxy Trot,” which will begin shooting late this year.

Elizabeth Frances is called Native Star, her father, Steve Yoakim, being a Cherokee and Caucasian. Elizabeth was born in Okinawa, Japan where her father was a US Marine,  but grew up mostly in northern San Diego, where her mother Frances (Silliman 1963 graduate, cum laude) worked as a CEO of Welks tourism conglomerate.

She had wanted to be an actress since she was a child. After receiving her degree, major in fine arts and theater acting from Cal Arts, she appeared in a play at the Autry Theater’s Native Voices series, where she was seen by Freeland, who cast her in what would eventually  become “Drunken’s Finest.”  She has worked with such notable theaters as Center theater Group, La Jolla Playhouse, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Native Voices, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

In television interviews, as a Native woman, she has been asked about a growing recognition of multicultural talents  in the acting industry. She said, “Representation is definitely improving and it’s incredibly encouraging, but we aren’t there yet. This  couldn’t be more true for multicultural women, Native women and women of color. We have to keep striving to not only be present in tv and cinema, but also to be at the forefront rather than a detour or accessory.

“There is a ripple effect our youth will feel the repercussions of, positive or negative. We are part of an inclusive and contemporary landscape of storytelling and celebrating.  We need to encourage our writers and filmmakers.”

Her advice to young actors: “There are a lot of  gifted and talented people, but be true to your specific voice. Cultivate and learn your craft.  Don’t let anyone  outwork you, because that’s what you can control. Find your community and the people that support you, motivate you, challenge you and understand you. They are the ones that will be your cohorts and friends for life.”

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