An electoral commission in Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that a woman has won a seat on a municipal council for the first time in the country. Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi, who was running against seven men and two women in Saturday’s vote, won a seat on the council in Madrakah in Mecca province, president of the election commission Osama al-Bar told the Saudi Press Agency.
In the Saudi Arabian municipal elections held on Saturday, women were allowed to participate as voters and candidates for the first time. Although more than 900 women contested in the vote, they had to speak behind a partition during their campaign or be represented by men.
Female voter registration stood at around 1,30,000, which is one-tenth that of male voter registration. This disparity was attributed to lack of awareness, bureaucratic obstacles, and not being able to sign up themselves, as women in the country are not permitted to drive, The National reported.
The decision to allow women to vote had been made by the late King Abdullah, who had appointed 30 women to the country’s advisory Shura Council before his death in January. In the history of the kingdom, these are the third-ever elections held in Saudi Arabia, the BBC said.
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