Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia, Originally posted in Arabic on December 20
The first municipal elections in Saudi Arabia ever open to female candidates proved to be a remarkable success, with 20 female candidates being elected to public office. This is an unprecedented development in Saudi politics, which are slowly opening up to women; not only as voters, but also as candidates.
Approximately 100,000 female voters turned up at the polls last week, representing the highest turnout rate in the Kingdom’s history.
Although I have full faith in Saudi women and their ability to excel in public positions, these elections caught me by surprise. Throughout the years, our society instilled women with a sense of fear and anxiety. Soon enough, women disappeared from the public sphere. The elections last week mark a true change for us. Yes, there is still a lot of work to get done. Most female candidates – over 900 women, in fact – did not make it to office. But these elections are a win-win situation for us.
First, they finally allow us to fully exercise our civic rights. Secondly, they raise awareness to our cause and show the people of our country that women’s integration leads to positive cultural, social, and economic changes. Ten years ago, I first called for female participation in the political process. The idea was premature back then. Today, however, Saudi women won public posts not only in the big cities, but also in the small towns of our country. I bless each and every woman believing in her right to participate in the political process in order to make a change in the world she lives in.
Similarly, I salute each and every man who stood by a woman’s side and supported her ambition of achieving independence. Most importantly, I commend our great nation. The nation that allowed for this blessed change to take place, allowing history to unfold before our eyes. – Amira Kashghari