‘The longest journey begins with a single step.” With luck, the ancient Chinese maxim will apply to the women of Saudi Arabia following their historic first step on Saturday in obtaining the long-denied right to participate in the political process in their own country.
Not only did 978 women present themselves as candidates against 5,938 male candidates, but 20 or more have reportedly won election in various cities and regions.
Considering the restrictions imposed on female candidates campaigning openly, the fact that 20 managed to win in a male-dominated society that traditionally restricts women’s fundamental rights clearly is an accomplishment.
Female candidates faced serious handicaps not confronted by male candidates, who participated already in two previous local campaigns. They included the disadvantage of not being allowed to address voters directly or even publish photos of themselves in electoral pamphlets. Strict rules also insisted that campaign staff were to be strictly segregated.
The fact that the successful candidates won in different cities and regions is viewed as an encouraging development for those who want to see greater openness throughout Saudi Arabia. A recent poll reported younger members of Saudi society are increasingly supportive of more openness and increasingly identify with many of the aspirations of young people in other societies, including Western ones.
Saudi Arabia’s women have traditionally been denied such normal rights as driving automobiles, freely travelling abroad or studying in foreign countries without permission of male family members, so the decision by the royal Saudi dynasty to allow adult females to vote in local elections for the first time and also run as candidates was long overdue. (No municipal-based elections were held between 1965 and 2005.)
The decision to allow women to vote was made by the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, who died in January. In announcing the decision, he said Saudi women “have demonstrated positions that expressed correct opinions and advice.” His decision was made despite resistance from some within Saudi Arabia’s ultra-conservative Muslim clergy — a clergy that critics maintain is responsible for promoting an extreme form of that country’s Islamic teachings.
While many both within the Saudi kingdom and abroad will understandably applaud the weekend’s seeming electoral breakthrough for Saudi women, it remains to be seen whether the move will herald similar advances in Saudi society under that kingdom’s new ruler, King Salman.
Amnesty International said: “We can only hope that this announcement of voting will be the first in a long line of reforms that guarantee Saudi women the rights that they have been demanding for so long.”
However, while many in Saudi Arabia might be encouraged by the historic breakthrough, other realities exist that clearly could play a significant role in future policies of Salman and his pivotally important son in coming days.
Unlike the cautious pro-U.S. stand of Abdullah, Salman has adopted a much more critical approach to U.S. policies, especially over negotiations with Iran. He also carried out a major military intervention in next-door Yemen to repel Shiite Houthis who had taken control of the Yemeni capital. That intervention was widely criticized for destroying many of the Yemeni capital’s world heritage sites.
The question to be answered is whether the electoral breakthrough for Saudi women will turn out to be an important first step in a journey toward authentic democracy and respect for the fundamental human rights of all of Saudi Arabia’s citizens.
Harry Sterling, a former diplomat, is an Ottawa-based commentator.
