Women denied vote in Saudi elections

Published: Monday, September 12, 2011

Women are not allowed to stand or vote in Saudi Arabia's municipal elections later this month - because electoral procedures are not ready.

Male voters will be electing 1,632 men to seats in 258 different councils with a further 1,000 plus seats appointed by royal decree.

The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs said that women were not allowed to vote because the infrastructure and electoral procedures to allow women at polling stations was not ready.

A similar excuse was made when elections were held in 2009.

Women activists have set up the Facebook-driven Baladi Campaign encouraging Saudi women to challenge the ban by attempting to register at local offices and demand voter identification cards.

"Women in Saudi Arabia have a negative stereotypical image as being oppressed, completely marginalized, and incapable of being productive members of society.

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