At least 17 Saudi women voted into public office in historic vote

For the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia, women were allowed to vote and stand as candidates in municipal elections on Saturday.

The mayor of Mecca, Osama al-Bar, said Salma al-Oteibi won in an area called Madrakah, about 150 kilometers north of Islam’s holiest site.

In the western coastal city of Jeddah, one victor was Lama al-Suleiman, a prominent businesswoman and British-trained biochemist.

Hanouf bint Mufrih bin Ayid al-Hazmi won in the northwestern region of Jawf, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said, adding that neighboring Tabuk elected two women.

Almost 7,000 candidates competed for over 2,100 council seats in local councils, of which over 900 candidates were females.

We can tell that the political landscape of Saudi is changing, what with women now being allowed to not only vote but also register as electoral candidates.

“But in an ultraconservative country where women are deprived of many basic rights-such as the ability to drive or to travel overseas without the permission of a male relative-many female voters see their inclusion in the election process as a turning point”.

Of the 130,000 Saudi women who registered to vote in the elections, on the day it is believed that 82 percent showed up at polling stations to make their vote count. Some media outlets, including Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat, put the number higher at 20 women.

And more than just one woman won: 17 women now have government positions across the country.

Another woman won in Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad’s first mosque was built.

Riyadh, the Saudi capital saw the most women candidates win, at four.

In 2005, elections for half the numbers of the municipal councillors were held, with the other half appointed, and it included only male candidates and voters. Her daughter, Sahar Hassan Nasief, said the experience marked “the beginning” of greater rights for women in Saudi Arabia. They do not have legislative powers, but advise authorities and help oversee local budgets. “They said they were glad at finally being able to do something they had only seen on television or in movies” it said. “Only in the movies.’ It was a thrilling experience”.