Saudi Arabia Rules Women Can Vote & Run For Election
Saudi Arabia has announced that women will, for the first time, be allowed to vote and put themselves forward for elections.
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia announced the changes in his speech commemorating the opening of a new term of his advisory body, the Shura Council. The King said,
“Because we refuse to marginalise women in society in all roles that comply with Sharia, we have decided, after deliberation with our senior clerics and others, to involve women in the Shura Council as members starting from next term. Women will be able to run as candidates to the municipal election and will even have a right to vote.”
The landmark announcement is a victory for those in Saudi Arabia who have been arguing against traditionalist views.
Many have spent the last 20 years in Saudi Arabia campaigning for womens rights but reform has been slow.
Saudi Arabia runs a strict version of Islamic law with clerics holding much of the power in the country. The recent developments in other Arab countries may have helped to push things forward.
Women in Saudi Arabia have many restrictions on their lives. For example, they are not allowed to drive a car. They also need to obtain permission from their male guardian (usually a relative) to work, travel, marry or study.
The new pledge by the Saudi Arabian King means that women will be able to stand and vote in municipal councils, even though in practice, the power of these councils are limited.
Women in Saudi Arabia will also be allowed to be involved in the Kings Shura Council from next term, a much more influential group and where the change could really be felt.
Even though Saudi Arabia lags behind most countries in the world when it comes to giving women the right to vote, it should be remembered that many so called advanced countries were facing the same issues relatively recently.
Womens Right to Vote
United States
1920 saw the ’19th Amendment’ to the constitution expressly stating the rights of citizens to vote regardless of race, color or previous condition of servitude.
United Kingdom
1928 saw the People Act giving women equal voting rights with men.
Canada
1918 full voting rights for women in federal elections. 1982 Charter guarantees right to vote for all adult citizens.
New Zealand
1893 marks the first country to give women equal voting rights.
Australia
1902 women allowed to vote in federal elections.
India
1935 women gain vote via the British Raj. 1950 marked the women’s voting rights in independent India.
Source: Wikipedia
Photo: Retlaw Snellac
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