Saudi Women Elected To Political Positions In Saudi Arabia In Historic Elections
Women being elected to political offices may not sound like a big deal but in Saudi Arabia, it is actually historic.
Four women were elected to municipal councils in Saudi Arabia for the first time after a ban on women taking part in elections was lifted.
It is an interesting feat despite the challenges that face women in Saudi Arabia including laws preventing them from driving and not being allowed to address male voters directly during campaigning.
Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi was named as Saudi Arabia’s first elected female politician, after winning a seat on the council in Madrakah in Mecca province. She was running against seven men and two women, the electoral authorities said.
Even though women were elected to political offices in this historical event, let us not forget that Saudi Arabia still has a long way to go in terms in women’s rights and freedoms.
Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to do the following:
- Drive A Car
- Compete In Sports
- Go anywhere without a chaperone
- Interact With Men (??!!)
- Try on clothes when shopping
So congrats to Saudi Arabia on their historic elections. But they are still stuck in the middle ages with some of their laws. At least, this is a good first step into the future.
Joseph Kuuire, Tech & Social Editor
Joseph Kuuire is a co-founder of BrutallyUncensored.Com, a writer and an IT Consultant based in Accra, Ghana---where the weather is always beautiful. When he wants to hide, he writes under the pseudonym name; Joe Phoenix. He went to high school at Akosombo International School and finished in Kenny Lake, Alaska. And then continued to University of Houston where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Management in Information Systems.
