Saudi Arabia: Women Allowed To Vote, Registration Underway

Voter registration turnout was initially low in Medina and Mecca, where registration for the third municipal elections in December opened earlier than in the rest of the country, but officials said they expected it to pick up.

“The participation of the Saudi women in the municipal elections as voters and candidates was a dream for us”, Jamal Al-Saadi told the Saudi Gazette.

The ongoing voter registration and the planned vote usher in a new and “exciting time” for women, as they participate in local governance, Afnan Linjawi, a Saudi writer, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

In September 2011, against the backdrop of protests on the lack of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, then-King Abdullah announced that women would be allowed to vote in local elections in 2015. In addition to Shamat, four other women in Makkah also registered on Sunday to vote.

While it is easy to criticize the Saudi government for their treatment of women, the kingdom has finally taken a step in the right direction, for which some respect is in order.

“I think there is the realisation from different groups, including the conservative groups, that what happened in the past, where their voice was the only representative in society, would no longer continue”, she said. During the elections, 424 of the country’s 1,263 voting centers will be dedicated exclusively to women, Al Arabiya reported.

At the same time, critics say that women’s ability to vote and run for office will not matter unless the country’s political institutions are overhauled. While Saudi Arabia has made a move to bring the women in par with the men, it now remains to be seen whether or not the Vatican City will call for a similar change.

Women will also be able to run for office in December’s election. “However, municipal councils and the Shura Council have limited powers, and now there is no female minister in government”, Begum said. This is a historical moment in the Saudi Arabia.

“We refuse to marginalize women in society in all roles that comply with Shariah”, Abdullah said at the time, referring to Islamic law, Reuters reported. The paper reports that, activist Naila Attar is organizing workshops ahead of the elections to urge Saudi women to “participate and exercise their right as citizens”.

“As evidenced by the 250 female members of the Baladi campaign, women have expressed their commitment to elect the best person for the job”, she said, “whether it is a woman or a man”.