These elections were the first of its kind in the country as it allowed the participation of females as voters and candidates. For the women elected, the win is more symbolic than powerful. Another woman won in Saudi Arabia’s southern border area of Jizan and another won in al-Ahsa. Still, the historic election of at least 19 women is a sign that the country is serious about societal change, even if it proceeds at a pace that for many is frustratingly slow. About 130,000 women were registered to vote, a number far below that of the men (about 1.5million men) while about 978 women ran for office.
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Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi was elected to a council in the holy city of Mecca, the official SPA news agency reported, citing election commission president Osama al-Bar.
According to officials, up to 18 women have been elected in Saudi Arabia’s first ever almost-gender-equal elections, which saw women allowed to vote – and be voted for – for the first time.
It was the last country to allow only men to vote, and polling stations were segregated during Saturday’s vote. This development is an indication of a major breakthrough in the women rights movement in Saudi Arabia.
Among other things, women complained of difficulties proving identity and residency and a limited number of registration centers, according to Human Rights Watch.
Female candidates also were barred from speaking to male voters and required to segregate campaign offices, the organization said.
But the king in his decree banned women from driving and asked them to cover themselves in public.
All though these elected female candidates represent just one person of the roughly 2100 municipal council seats but this election is a symbol of a step forward towards women empowerment in the nation.
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In the end, there were 979 women candidates for the polls. The council serves as an advisory body to the king; it can propose laws but not enact or enforce them. Voters will fill half of the seats. The councils these women will serve on do not have legislative powers, but advise authorities and help oversee local budgets. While his lyrics proved prophetic nearly immediately in the United States, it took more than half a century for them to accurately describe other parts of the world.
