Wadjda-Saudi Women's Empowerment

Tonight while many of you are hoping to win the big powerball, know that as a woman born outside of Saudi Arabia and many middle Eastern nations, you already won the birth lottery.  Wadjda is a film about a young girl in Saudi Arabia who yearns to own a bicycle and ride freely.  The movie depicts the countless & unimaginable restrictions placed on women in the 21st C living in Saudi Arabia.  There are so many regulations that rather than innumerating them, I'll acknowledge. women are lower than 2nd class citizens; they are insignificant. Furthermore, they are subject to harsh punishments for slight infractions and subjected to force marriages at very young ages. Wadjda our young, defiant heroine is forever being made aware of lack of relevance she has in society & in her own family tree.  Women must be kept under wraps (literally & figuratively) from males at all times.  However, this film is a major advance for Saudi women.  Wadjda is the 1st feature film made by a Saudi woman and focused on the lives of women.  The entire film is shot in Saudi Arabia, a town that is barren except for cement or crumbling structures.  Despite depicting the stultifying lives of Saudi women, there are inroads being towards breaking down barriers.  Don't bemoan not being the big winner in tonight's drawing.  Celebrate our liberties not bestowed to women everywhere and ponder the odds of helping to empower these women.