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RIYADH: Women in Saudi Arabia are registering to vote in elections for the first time in the country's history.
According to a CNN report, women were allowed to register as voters in the kingdom starting August 22, when official voter registration in the country began. Women will also be able to register as candidates once candidate registration begins on August 30.
Read: Saudi women get right to vote, contest poll
The move to permit women to vote and run as candidates, first announced by the now-deceased King Abdullah in a 2011 order, will allow women to participate in the upcoming municipal elections in the country in December 2015.
The historic decision will add interest to an otherwise meaningless election. Being a monarchy, King Salman retains absolute control and decision-making authority in the country, thus heavily limiting the role of the municipal councils.
Explore more: King Salman moves quickly to consolidate power
In the councils themselves, half of the members will be elected while the other half will be officials selected by King Salman, ensuring power remains concentrated within the royal family.
However, for women, the move is still a significant one. In a country where women's rights and freedoms are still heavily curtailed, women are still not allowed to drive for example, the decision to allow women to participate in elections marks an important step in the right direction.
Also read: Saudi women allowed to contest elections
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Comments (47) Closed
Aug 24, 2015 04:37pm
Stone age..
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Aug 24, 2015 04:44pm
This is a good step. Pakistan should also allow women in each part of the country to cast their votes as 50,000 voting booths in 2008 national election did not have a single woman vote casted.
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Aug 24, 2015 04:50pm
Nice to see SA is coming out of Stone Age.
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Aug 24, 2015 04:51pm
Its a great move. Should have happened much earlier though. But then Saudis aren't far behind Switzerland where the women got a right to vote in 1971.
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Aug 24, 2015 04:52pm
Still it is difficult.Husbands won't allow their wives.
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Aug 24, 2015 04:54pm
Nice to see our brethren accepting modernity.
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Aug 24, 2015 04:55pm
@Rohit Sharma
Don't worry too much about Pakistan, you should keep an eye on your Shiv Sena.
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Aug 24, 2015 05:00pm
@Satt
One thing at a time, things are moving in right direction. That day won't be too far when Saudi women will be participating shoulder to shoulder with men. So be patient.
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Aug 24, 2015 05:16pm
Congratulations! Saudi women have finally being recognized as humans. Now let them drive also.
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Aug 24, 2015 05:18pm
Just wow...in the 21st century.
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Aug 24, 2015 05:23pm
@Rohit Sharma they are allowed constitutionally.. It's a cultural thing that men do not allow women to vote. We are hoping that one day sense would prevail and their men would allow them. It's the FATA area which has this problem. I'm sure more backward areas of India also suffer with the same problem. Now don't tell me that all of India is very modern and they all have KFC outlets and no one cooks at home anymore.
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Aug 24, 2015 05:25pm
@Rohit Sharma . I think you should worry about your own women. Never a day passes without hearing the inequalities where the women are concerned. Daily rapes, murder, harassment of women in India is a daily occurence!
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Aug 24, 2015 05:27pm
KSA welcome to 2015!
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Aug 24, 2015 05:33pm
@PADMAKAR
This is literacy rate of Saudi Arabia
Male 90.4%
Female 81.3%
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Aug 24, 2015 06:07pm
Saudia Arabia should not be pressurized in to western way of government. Appoint a khalifa and form a shura.
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Aug 24, 2015 06:19pm
i dont know how to react?
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Aug 24, 2015 06:30pm
@Rohit Sharma Please get your statistics right , I am not getting into the numbers but it is far less than what you have suggested here I can tell you one thing women in those areas don't to go out and vote, its cultural issue within the small tribe but not Pakistan govermnet as such policy to ban women right to vote when we had our Women prime minister Benazir Bhutto , Dr Malliha Lodhi as our spokes person in Uniter Nation and many others . By the way in 2008 most women elected as parliamentarians .
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Aug 24, 2015 06:43pm
@Thanedar I am surprise to know your yardstick to measure a level of modernness by having how many KFC outlets in a country. There are no places in India where women are banned neither by the government, or maulavies or their family members to cast their votes. In fact it is staid that women voters in India are more sensible than men and keep their votes secrete even does not disclose their votes to their husbands.
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Aug 24, 2015 06:45pm
@Adeel I like that Pakistan had once a woman prime minister and now they are trying to give equal opportunities to women. This is something that you should do, rather than allowing old men dominated law in KPK. There is no Pakistani law in KPK's area, in fact they have their own law which is highly men dominated and women are suppressed on the name of religion.
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Aug 24, 2015 06:51pm
@Rohit Sharma ....yet your women have failed to elevate themselves with a vote card.They still practice witchcraft and then are killed by men,not women.
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Aug 24, 2015 06:53pm
Great news from KSA and I wish one day soon, if there are female ministers in the Saudi cabinet.
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Aug 24, 2015 06:55pm
@Rohit Sharma We all know where our women stand. What we have done so is not enough, neither in India nor in Pakistan. The great thing is the the KSA has taken a step in the right direction. Reform will come but at a much slower pace than we would ask but they ARE ALL POSITIVE STEPS.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:03pm
@Changez_Khan ......women only work when society or their men or governments fail to provide.So,so far they are better off.Working with men will produce a culture that prevails in Indian society where women are daily harassed including raped and murdered.The saudi system works on Islamic culture,which recognises the needs of women.Driving a car is nothing modern,as arab women did ride on camels and horses,its just that the model changed from animal to machinery.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:04pm
@Rohit Sharma yes you are absolutely right but that area or part is not KPK but FATA just to get the facts right here FATA is the area which is very close to Aghanistan and recently many displaced people you must have read in news. KPK have the best government by far, who are actually working for the people of KPK to improve their day to day life by improving health facilities, government school , sports grounds infrastructure and the most important de politicise police means improved law and order situation , many would agree that only in KPK there is governance. Once again nice to know you have interest in Pakistan politics which is very good.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:06pm
@Dr Ahmad - Melbourne Maybe also a woman elected as president.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:11pm
This is not the first time . I am here in KSA . King Abdullah allowed them to vote in his rule. I think this is the third time they will vote. Following Islamic tradition, they are far better than us in many professional fields.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:12pm
@SARTAAJ .......react by giving all of your women a voting card and not influencing who to vote for.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:17pm
@Changez_Khan , They are more advance in many fields . There are 4 world largest super computers in one university. Their G to C E commerce services are superb. Their law and order situation is far better . Women feel more safety and are more confident. More women have their own businesses.Education ratio in women is very high. You need to change spectacles.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:21pm
Welcome to 21st Century Saudi Arabia!!!
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Aug 24, 2015 07:23pm
Next progress would be seeing them standing in line for their drivers license.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:26pm
@mb - I wish so too but I do not believe that there is any president in KSA in their governing system. KSA does have a king so a queen could be more close to reality, one day I guess.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:31pm
@zafar Iqbal .........our own failing democracies.
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Aug 24, 2015 07:35pm
@Padmakar Than why your country-fellows are are on reversal and going to stone age to earn their livelihoods? Joke of the day!
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Aug 24, 2015 07:48pm
Muslim countries must have elected president like USA who should be guided by elected minsters and senate ruled by technocrats and persons having PhD on Islamic doctrine. Moreover country should have university of weapons , space and naval expertise.
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Aug 24, 2015 08:03pm
Good step, but Saudia is still a monarchy...
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Aug 24, 2015 08:04pm
@Rohit Sharma
In Saudia women couldnt vote legally. They can legally do do it now, but there will be social pressures.
In Pakistan since formation women can vote. Unfortunately some tribes in North West of country take away that right, which is a shame
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Aug 24, 2015 08:06pm
@George
What literacy do they give in Saudia that not a single eminent scientist is produced
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Aug 24, 2015 09:00pm
@Rohit Sharma .... Absolute nonsense.... Only In Some northern areas of Pakistan women did not cast vote may be security concerns. Do you know ..Pakistan had first Muslim women PM.
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Aug 24, 2015 09:13pm
Saudi Arabia - A primitive country is finally entering the 19th Century about 200 years behind the rest of the civilized world.
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Aug 24, 2015 09:22pm
A few years back Saudi Arabia also announced that those people who had lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for ten years would be offered Saudi citizen ship. We are yet to see any Pakistani, Indian or Bangladeshi getting Saudi citizenship.
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Aug 24, 2015 09:30pm
@Naseer
You may want to listen to Mr Hasan Nisar on this subject.
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Aug 24, 2015 10:25pm
Such a great step & I wish if their husband supports them in this.
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Aug 24, 2015 10:45pm
It is the IRAN effect, well better late than never.
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Aug 25, 2015 02:24am
reforms slowly slowly without disturbance on road and in normal life is appreciatable.
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Aug 25, 2015 05:28am
Changez _Khan - What has Shiv Sena got to do with woman's voting rights? What an example, Sirjee.
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Aug 25, 2015 05:42am
@Rohit Sharma ......if they are hsppy why are you bothered.This is how there women want it too.Your women are given the choice but till now they are degraded.
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Aug 25, 2015 05:47am
@Haider Rehman ......why becoming a scientist so important?why not say the best mothers,sisters,daughters or society.They live a comfortable life to the envy of others.If they are appy why are others bothered.
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