Saudi Women Granted Vote
Women in Saudi Arabia will be permitted to vote and run as candidates in municipal (city) elections beginning in 2015, announces King Abdullah. Saudi activists praised the decision as an important step in efforts to loosen restrictions on Saudi women. Since the 1960′s, educational and occupational opportunities for Saudi woman have increased. However, the Saudi government enforces a strict version of Sunni law known as Wahhābism. Under this version of Islamic law, women are not allowed to drive or travel without the permission of a male relative.
Elections for municipal councils, held for the first time in 2005, are the only public elections in Saudi Arabia. (Saudi Arabia is ruled by an absolute monarch—that is, the king holds nearly all power.) The second round of elections is scheduled for September 29. Voters choose about half of the members of the local councils. The government appoints the remaining members. The next municipal elections are scheduled for 2015.
King Abdullah also announces that women will have the right to serve on the Shura Council, an advisory board that the king can consult. All members of the board are appointed by the government.
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