Today brought some good news: A young woman arrested in Saudi Arabia for wearing “suggestive clothing” was freed. She had been filmed on social media walking outside in the deeply conservative country in a short skirt, with her hair uncovered. After an international outcry, she was released without charge.

That kind of outcry is a powerful tool, and one human rights activists say they are turning to when it comes to attracting the attention of the United States and its president. As we wrote, a group of Afghan girls is currently participating in a robotics competition in Washington – after President Trump intervened to allow the students into the country when their visas were denied. (For a glimpse at the competition, click here.) And Mr. Trump’s personal appeal to Egypt’s president resulted in freedom for Egyptian-American activist Aya Hijazi, who had been imprisoned for almost three years.

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince launched Vision 2030 in an effort to reform society. It’s unclear whether gender rights will be part of that agenda, in a country where women cannot obtain driver’s licenses or work without a male guardian’s permission.

Certainly, an appeal to the heart can be a profound way to help. But when it comes to rights, those need to be guaranteed for all – not privileges dispensed only to those fortunate enough to have their fate go viral or to have caught the attention of someone powerful.