Saudi king gives women right to vote
King Abdullah said his decision came because “we refuse marginalising women’s role in the Saudi society in all fields” and followed “consultations with several scholars”.
He did not mention anything about women’s right to drive in the kingdom where they must hire male chauffeurs, or depend on the goodwill of relatives if they do not have the means.
However, he said “balanced modernisation which agrees with our Islamic values is a necessary demand in an epoch where there is no place for those who are hesitant” in moving forward.
Well, that’s a welcome start.
I understand from early radio this morning that it is the Saudi King himself who is responsible for this small step forward in women’s right to vote (its only for municipal elections) He is apparently up against the conservative islamic clerics. The right to drive has got the poor old dears worried, more than a limited right to vote apparently. Bannning women from driving means that husbands have to leave the workplace to transport their kids to and from school. It is so impractical. But saudi women are gathering on this issue, and it may not be long before they drive right through the clerics.
AIUI, municipal elections are the only elections in Saudi Arabia anyway. All other public offices are filled by royal appointment (mostly by the royally appointed members of government acting on the king’s behalf). The king has also indicated that he intends to include women in his future appointments to the Shura Council (the king’s consultative body) for the next term.
Must be a horrible country to live if you are a woman.
“…consultations with several scholars”.
Damn those academic elites and their social engineering!
Compared to confronting the utter horror of the entire Saudi system, this is like combatting global warming by blowing out a match.
Last year I met and travelled for a while with a couple of blokes from Saudi. They were fascinating and obviously very rich. One of the insights was that prosperous Saudis partly circumvented these l was by travelling to Beirut to have a good time. This applied to both men and women. A trip away would be organised via email. Then is was a case of “what happens in Beirut, stays in Beirut”.
These guys had a very nice life and benefited from the lack of democracy, but they also thought the laws and the autocracy were ridiculous.
Thanks for clarification tigtog@3
The significance of the right to vote in an unelected monarchical regime could be overstated.
Excellent news.
And didn’t I hear on the teev that a woman actually got elected in the UAE the other day?
Look closer to home folks – there’s never yet been a female parliamentarian in Solomon Islands. And only one or two in PNG.
I get that totally LE, but in geopolitical terms, Saudi and the UAE rank somewhat higher than our nearest northern neighbours.
For sure FDB. Guess Im just side-notin’ its more about culture than religion. PNG and SI are very strongly Christianised.
When do they get the right to look hot and carry guns?
At this blistering rate of progress Saudi women should be allowed to use EFTPOS by 2214.
One step forward, even a baby step. Better than a step back.
I suppose they still have to rely on having a man willing to drive them to the polling booth?