Saudi Arabian Women Elected To Councils, First Time In Nation’s History

“Even if it was only one woman, we’re really proud of that”.

With seats on 284 municipal councils up for grabs and about 1000 women and 7000 men competing, females won only a small fraction of the races, according to early results.

Hanouf bint Mufrih bin Ayid al-Hazmi won in the northwestern region of Jawf, while Sanna Abdel Latif Hamam and Maasooma Abdel Mohsen al-Rida were elected in Ihsa province.

Saudi Arabia’s second largest and most cosmopolitan city, Jiddah, elected two women, as did one of the most conservative regions, Qassim.

But the king in his decree banned women from driving and asked them to cover themselves in public.

A number of women have been voted into public office across Saudi Arabia, after the first election to allow female participation in the country.

However, the election was only for two thirds of municipal council seats which have no legislative or national powers but are rather limited to local affairs.

“These have been much more hard, they come from more conservative backgrounds”.

Female candidates also were barred from speaking to male voters and required to segregate campaign offices, the organization said.

Women also said voter registration was hindered by bureaucratic obstacles, a lack of awareness of the process and its significance, and the fact that women could not drive to sign up.

The official results in the latest election were expected to be announced on Monday. This included about 119,000 women, out of a total native Saudi population of nearly 21mn.

Female voter turnout was almost 80 percent in places, compared with about 50 percent of registered male voters, according to an AFP analysis of official data.

Nassima al-Sadah, an activist in the eastern city of Qatif, said it didn’t matter whether women voted for their own sex. Significantly too, it draws attention to these and other challenges faced by a more modern and complex Saudi society whose stability can no longer rely on huge oil revenues.

Saudi Arabia’s strict interpretation of Sunni Islam has given rise to an informal system of male guardianship over women that requires women be accompanied by a male guardian to travel or go to school.

Though this election is a bold step for women inclusion in Saudi Arabia, it does not mean that women have equal rights as men in the kingdom.