The interior ministry has reiterated that anyone flouting the ban is likely to face unspecified punishment. The activists behind the campaign believe the mood of the public, including men, is changing to support lifting of the ban.
I don't believe one country should interfere with another's traditional way of life, but in this instance, the women are standing up for themselves, despite threats of unspecified punishment. They're brave and strong.
In conservative Saudi Arabia, a woman's life is not her own; she is nothing but a legal minor. Every woman must have a male guardian. Until she is married, the father takes the role, but other family, even sons, can assume the guardian status.
To fit in with this tradition, Saudi women need permission from the guardian for certain types of healthcare, to study, work, travel, and marry.
Nowadays, Saudi women still depend on private drivers or male guardians to move around in the country. Let's hope they can take this one step toward independence. If only the 'world could live as one', allowing these women to be free to make their own choices.