When female politicians have opted out of the country's dress code for women in the past, it's been inferred that these hijab-free visits are intended to inspire oppressed women in the Middle East. In addition to being banned from driving or traveling without a legal (male) guardian, women in Saudi Arabia are prohibited from wearing anything other than a floor-length robe and covering their hair. The decision to forego the traditional head scarf is considered particularly deviant in Saudi Arabian culture. As for Merkel's stance on the traditional garments, she has called for the burqa to be banned in Germany and "wherever legally possible" in the past. Merkel's visit included a push for human rights, which Merkel acknowledged the Middle Eastern country isn't championing ( although she didn't directly address women's issues or rights). When Merkel visited Saudi Arabia in 2010 , she eschewed a head covering for that appearance as well.