Today, women in Saudi Arabia are being allowed to vote for the first time in the kingdom’s history.
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Among the 6,917 registered candidates for Saturday’s election, 979 were women as of November 29, according to Human Rights Watch.
The historic vote follows a 2011 order by the late King Abdullah, who encouraged more female inclusion in politics, education, and employment. One candidate, Loujain Hathloul, was barred for attempting to drive.
In response to such perspectives, Uber, the popular online taxi-hailing service, is offering free rides for women to and from polling stations throughout Saudi Arabia, in an effort to help increase the number of women at the polls throughout the kingdom Saturday. On Saturday 424 female-only polling booths had been set-up across the country.
“There are people who see women voting and running in the election as another step towards Westernisation”.
Ms Aljazi al-Hossaini waged her 12-day campaign largely over the Internet, putting her manifesto on her website where both men and women could see it. “And if women’s photos are not allowed, it would only be right, fair and equal to ban photos of all candidates”, Jadie al-Qahtani, the head of the election’s executive committee, said. About 130,000 women registered to vote, compared to 1.36 million men, both representing a fraction of the seven million eligible voters countrywide.
“We are looking at it as an opportunity to exercise our right and to push for more”, she added.
Saudi Arabia is the last country in the world to allow women to vote except for the Vatican City where male cardinals elect the pope. However, since the elections only fill two-thirds of the country’s 3,000 or so council seats, it’s possible that regardless of how women do electorally, some may later be appointed to the remaining seats – which are awarded based on needed expertise.
The decision by the Saudi royal family to allow women to vote is being viewed by many as a first step toward greater equality.
Many women said they could not afford the high cost of running a visible campaign. “I voted for a man because I lack information about the women”, he said.
Saudi Arabia has no elected parliament, but an appointed consultative council, whose members could propose legislations, with no powers to draft or approve laws.
“We needed to play a role because we found this really empowering to women”, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “Her role is at home managing the house and raising a new generation”, Abdullah Al-Maiteb told AP. All major decision-making powers rest exclusively in the hands of King Salman and the -male Cabinet of ministers.
Saudi officials say they will announce the election results Sunday.
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FILE – Saudi woman Fawzia al-Harbi, a candidate for local municipal council elections, shows her candidate biography at a shopping mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 29, 2015.
