Yesterday marked a turning point in Saudi
politics as for the first time in history, the Arab
country allowed women to participate in its
political process.
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Women in Saudi Arabia have cast their first votes
in the country's history, in municipal elections.
Women were also standing as candidates,
another first, despite the conservative kingdom
being the only nation where women are not
allowed to drive.
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A total of 978 women have registered as
candidates, alongside 5,938 men.
Female candidates have had to speak behind a
partition while campaigning or be represented by
a man. Turnout was high, state media reported.
About 130,000 women registered to vote, officials
said. That figure still falls well short of male voter
registration, which stands at 1.35 million.
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Salma al-Rashed was the first woman to register
to vote. "It felt really good," she told the BBC.
"Change is a big word but the election is the way
to make sure we are really represented."
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The election is for municipal councils with few
powers, but it's a milestone for Saudi women. As
soon as the polls were open at 0800 local time in
Riyadh, Hatoon al-Fassi rushed to cast her vote.
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The Saudi academic and women's rights
campaigner had to be driven there. Women are
still banned from taking the wheel here.
She voted in an almost empty polling station, for
women only. The election is segregated, like
everything else in this deeply conservative society.
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"It feels great," she said as she emerged, with a
huge smile. "This is a historical moment. I thank
God I am living it." She has been pushing for this
day for more than a decade.
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Ms Fassi said it did not matter how many women
actually get elected. "I am not really worried
about the number, or to have any women
winning," she told us. "The fact that we have
gone through this exercise is what really
matters."
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Elections themselves are a rare thing in the Saudi
kingdom - Saturday will be only the third time in
history that Saudis have gone to the polls.
There were no elections in the 40 years between
1965 and 2005.
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The decision to allow women to take part was
taken by the late King Abdullah and is seen as a
key part of his legacy.
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In announcing the reforms, King Abdullah said
women in Saudi Arabia "have demonstrated
positions that expressed correct opinions and
advice".
Source: BBC