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Saudi Women Get Right to Vote

  •   Sun, Sep 25 2011 07:22:06 PM

Riyadh, Sep 25 (IANS/RIA Novosti): King Abdullah said Sunday that women in Saudi Arabia are now allowed to vote, run in municipal elections and be appointed to the consultative Shura Council, local media reported.

"Because we refuse to marginalize women in society in all roles that comply with sharia, we have decided, after deliberation with our senior ulama (clerics) and others... to involve women in the Shura Council as members, starting from the next term," he said.

King Abdullah said the decision had been taken after talks with senior Muslim clerics (ulama).

"Women will be able to run as candidates in the municipal election and will even have a right to vote," King Abdullah added.

This means that women will be able to take part in the elections that will be held in four years. The country will go to vote on Thursday, only the second elections in Saudi Arabia's history. More than 5000 men are set to vie for half the seats in 285 municipal councils. The other half is appointed by the government.

The decision comes after a long battle by women rights activists demanding sufferage. This time, intellectuals and activists called for a boycott for keeping women out.
  

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Comment on this article

  • EDWARD, MANGALORE

    Tue, Sep 27 2011

    "Saudi Women Get Right to Vote" (ARABIC SHURA IS PARLIAMENT IN ENGLISH) GOOD MOVE BY THE HONORABLE KING, AS THIS IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS TRANSFORMATION. AS NOW A DAYS THERE IS TURMOIL IN ARAB WORLD FOR REGIME CHANGE (TUNISIA-EGYPT-LIBIYA-YEMEN-BAHRAIN-SIRIYA) AND IN INDIA AGAINST CORRUPTION. IN COMING YEARS (FROM NOW TILL 2015) I HOPE & BELEIVE IN SAUDI ARABIA THERE ARE LOTS OF CHANGES. YOUNG SAUDIS WILL TAKE OVER JOBS IN EVERY FIELD, WOMENS WILL JOIN AS MD-GM-HRD-MANAGER-CHANCELORS ETC EVERY WHERE IN SAUDI. IN FACT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY NEED TO BE SELF-DEPENDENT RATHER THAN DEPENDENT. SO WE SHOULD ALL WELCOME THIS CHANGE & THEY SHOULD SERVE THEIR OWN COUNTRY FOR EVER AND EVER.

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  • Alwyn, Canada

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    Look at king has consulted with Religious leaders who will never agrees to give freedom for women with the fear that one day women will rule all the men in Saudi for sure. People keep religion as private affair and govt as public which will allow you to come out from fanatic mind . Look at all middle eastern countries name it a single place without war, terrorism, what not. All becasue of too much peaceful religious belief creates mess. These poor women suffer even this century where women around the world has so much freedom like human being. Every where problems for only one reason of this religious belief.

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  • M.SHAMEEM ANSARI, BAHRAIN

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    It is highly appriciated to allowed to voting power for women in Saudi Arabia.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • M A Khan, Mangalore

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    Mr. Tayyab I am totally disagree with ur comments which are merely ur thougts driven by .....What the else things u required for women? Moving withougt a male MAHRAM is defined by Shariya not by Saudi or any Government. Derving for what? U are the custodian & send here to take the responsibility of your women and dont leave them for others. Dont run away from ur responsibility. All religeons have Hijab system which all religeon has restricted to a particular sect while for Islam it is same for everybody. Please dont read newa and all only study some of DEEN also.

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  • Rihan, Dubai

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    @ Meyaan,
    In this recent world my dear... even American women are not happy...there is no end for human desire.....forget about women we men are not happy either....DIL MANGE MORE........

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  • Meyaan,

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    Rihan,

    Open your eyes and dont pretend to support or show solidarity to a regime which relegates women to sheer doormats. You have never really spoken to saudi women. U dont know what they have to endure in the name of religion.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • ISMAIL.K.PERINJE, PERINJE-YANBU/KSA

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    A step forward in right direction....
    By the ruler of KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA.

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  • Abumohammed, Mlr/Saudi Arabia

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    HENRY MISQUITH, KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
    Stone age might be for you. If you ask Saudi women they slap you.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • moshu, ksa

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    Saudi will be all right even without the women voting. Women are happy with their way of living. We have seen in so called democratic countries with the freedom of expression and women rights. Its all on the paper. But reality is different. Saudi women are working in public and private sector companies. Merely having voting rights and having driving license doesn't uplift women rights. Women's exploitation we see in developed countries who called themselves a "civilized "

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  • Mohammed , Dubai

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    Good move from Saudi government, I was reading even king allowed womens to contest the elections in the provencs.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Harsh Malhotra, Mangalore/New Delhi

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    everything will change dheere dheere..one day it looks same like Iran during shah's period..people are almost frustrated!!

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  • HSK, Mangalore/Dubai

    Mon, Sep 26 2011

    Rightly put by Henry Misquith, but the journey has just begun to come out from stone age. Anyway, they are heading in the right direction. How soon they reach 21st century will depend on the so called "advisors" of the ruler there.

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  • Rihan, Dubai

    Sun, Sep 25 2011

    Saudi is the country Blessed by Almighty...God gave them one natural resource in abandon for which whole world is starving for....So people stop blaming law of the country which is going in right direction without being contrary for rest of world....

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  • Dr.Ismail, mangalore

    Sun, Sep 25 2011

    good news

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  • Kamal Taiyyeb, Mangalore

    Sun, Sep 25 2011

    What is the use of right to vote when they don't have rights to do anything else? She is not allowed to even move freely without a male companion who has to be her relative. On top of that she is not allowed to drive also. So what do they achieve by getting right to vote???

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Dr. J. Lancy D'Souza, Anjelore

    Sun, Sep 25 2011

    Finally the Govt. came to know that they can't do without the women around. You can keep them in Pardha for sometime, somewhere but not all the time, everywhere.
    Next, only the women contestants and voters should ensure that there is a fair election n results.
    Hope they will get rights to drive and take up jobs as well.

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  • Jerry Moras, Canada

    Sun, Sep 25 2011

    Just wondering : Does Saudi Women to drive ? Or Travel alone outside country ?

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Mohd. Arif, Mangalore/Mumbai

    Sun, Sep 25 2011

    One head one vote or is it one woman head is equal to half vote?

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • A. S. Mathew, U.S.A.

    Sun, Sep 25 2011

    It is a great news and highly commendable that the women of
    Saudi Arabia got the voting right
    finally. A thousand mile walk starts with the first step. This is the first step of their fundamental freedom march.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

    Sun, Sep 25 2011

    Very good move....welcome to 21st century from stone age!

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse


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