Saudi women can vote but still face criminal charges for driving.

But despite this progress, many basic privileges will remain unavailable to women in the Saudi kingdom, including the right to drive, the LA Times reports. While the right to vote may catalyze a wider discussion on the rights of women, others worry that this political gesture is an empty one. 

Human rights advocate and college professor Mohammad Fahd Quhtani claims that "It's a symbolic gesture but it is in no way enough to improve the lives of women."

Saudi Arabia follows a conservative form of Sunni Islam, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Under current Saudi law, women are prohibited from driving, traveling without a male chaperone and face public stoning for adultery.