Saudi women exercise suffrage for first time, but impact likely limited

The election was the first where women were allowed to vote and stand as candidates, and is being viewed as a landmark in the conservative kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has elected its first female councillor, after women were allowed to vote in the country for the first time.

Saudi Arabia has confirmed that Salima bint Hazab al-Otaibi has become the first woman elected to public office in the conservative Islamic kingdom. “Now we feel we are part of society, that we contribute”, said Sara Ahmed, 30, a physiotherapist entering a polling station in north Riyadh.

But one-third of seats on Saudi’s 284 councils are appointed by the municipal affairs ministry, leaving women optimistic that they will at least be assigned some of them.

As she spoke, a military transport plane flew low overhead from the nearby airbase, a reminder of the momentous policies from war in Yemen to management of plunging oil prices on which Saudi citizens – men and women – still have no formal say.

A slow expansion of women’s rights began four years ago under Salman’s predecessor Abdullah, who announced that women would join the elections this year. These councils do not have the power to change many women’s issues, like freedom to travel without a male companion or obtain a driver’s license.

Saudi citizens read the candidates’ list inside a polling center during the country’s municipal elections in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. It was the last country to allow only men to vote, and polling stations were segregated during Saturday’s vote. Although more than 900 women contested in the vote, they had to speak behind a partition during their campaign or be represented by men.

“We have been waiting so long”, Sharif said.

“There are plenty of candidates, more than 5,000 men and nearly 1,000 women”.

Hatoon al-Fassi, a Saudi womens’ rights activist and writer, said in a tweet: “This is a new day”.

The female winners include Salma al-Oteibi in the Mecca region, Lama al-Suleiman and Rasha Hufaithi in Jeddah, Hanouf al-Hazimi in Al Jouf province, and Sanaa al-Hammam and Masoumah Abdelreda in the Ahsa region.

The historic vote follows a 2011 order by the late King Abdullah, who encouraged more female inclusion in politics, education, and employment.

Today, the government announced that several of the 979 women who ran had been elected to the council.

Results were expected to be reported on Sunday.

“Now women have a voice”, Ms Awatef Marzooq said after casting her ballot at a school in the capital. Riyadh’s daily Saudi Gazette cited a source as saying: “The incident must be looked into closely”.

They oversee a variety of community problems, like budgets for keeping and enhancing public facilities, while the municipal councils would not have legislative powers.

“But Saudi Arabia continues to discriminate against women through myriad laws, policies, and practices”, the US-based watchdog said.