In a milestone moment for the country, women in Saudi Arabia participated in the country’s elections on Saturday, as both voters and candidates.
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In all, 1.3 lakh women registered to vote in Saturday’s election and 978 women registered as candidates – not anywhere near the 6,000 male candidates.
The election is seen as a modest – but important – step in opening space for a greater public voice for Saudi women despite a host of other limitations, including the world’s only ban on women driving.
Municipal councils are the only government bodies that are elected by the popular vote.
The historic vote is being hailed by human rights campaigners as a positive step towards advancing women’s rights within the famously segregated kingdom, where women will not be permitted to drive & are subject to strict male guardianship laws. Many women said they also could not afford the high cost of running a highly visible campaign.
Saudi women vote at a polling center during the country’s municipal elections in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015.
One-third of seats on Saudi Arabia’s 284 councils are appointed by the municipal affairs ministry, leaving women optimistic that they will at least be assigned some of them.
Out of a population of approximately 27 million people, only 1.5 million Saudis are registered to vote, 130,000 of whom are women.
Such is the low public expectation for any rapid changes despite the election, which was set in motion by the late King Abdullah as part of reforms that included adding women to the Shura Council that advises the kingdom’s rulers.
“Women here are doctors and engineers – it’s not like women aren’t there”, Lama al-Sulaiman, a candidate in Jeddah, said.
Authorities initially agreed on women’s voting rights in 2005, but the movement stalled for years.
The results of the vote are expected on Sunday. We have them, we have weaknesses and every citizen goes through challenges – those shouldn’t be belittled.
Amna Ahmed, a 23-year-old Quran teacher, didn’t bother to register to vote because she too believes Saudi women have no place in government.
Are you voting in Saudi Arabia? But women still face many restrictions, and must get permission from male family members to travel, work or marry.
Hatoon Al-Fassi, general co-ordinator for the grassroots Saudi Baladi Initiative that worked closely with women to raise voter awareness and increase female participation in the election, said the ultimate goal in this election wasn’t to win votes. However they additionally acknowledge in that in this Muslim kingdom dominated by the Saudi monarchy & an ultra-conservative clerical institution, alter is more likely to move at a glacial pace.
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“The rulers are male and usually make the decisions so we’re not used to women making decisions”, she said.
