Women have been elected to municipal councils in Saudi Arabia for the first time after a ban on women taking part in elections was lifted. The vote is being seen as a landmark in the conservative kingdom. However, the councils have limited powers. Women won in many regions in the country, including Jeddah and Qatif. Saudi women still face many curbs in public life, including driving. A total of 978 women registered as candidates, alongside 5,938 men.
Showing posts with label Saudi Arabia. Show all posts
Dec 16, 2015
Saudi Arabia announces 34-state Islamic military alliance against terrorism
Saudi Arabia has announced the formation of a 34-state Islamic military alliance to combat terrorism.
It has been established in pursuance of the objectives and principles of the charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It calls for all member states to cooperate to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
About Islamic Military Coalition
- The joint operations centre of the coalition will be established in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
- The coalition includes nations with large and established armies such as Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt as well as war-torn countries such as Libya and Yemen.
- Member nations: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Turkey, Benin, Togo, Chad, Djibouti, Tunisia, Sudan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Somalia, Guinea, Comoros, Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait, Cote d’Ivoire, Lebanon, Maldives, Libya, Mali, Malaysia, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Yemen.
- The establishment of coalition comes amid international pressure on the Gulf Arab states to do more in the fight against so-called Islamic State.
- The new alliance will co-ordinate efforts against extremists in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Afghanistan.
Dec 12, 2015
Saudi Arabia: First women councillors elected
Women have been elected to municipal councils in Saudi Arabia for the first time after a ban on women taking part in elections was lifted. The vote is being seen as a landmark in the conservative kingdom. However, the councils have limited powers. Women won in many regions in the country, including Jeddah and Qatif. Saudi women still face many curbs in public life, including driving. A total of 978 women registered as candidates, alongside 5,938 men.
The disparity was attributed by female voters to bureaucratic obstacles and a lack of transport. Female candidates were also not allowed to address male voters directly during campaigning.
Elections of any kind are rare in the Saudi kingdom. The recent one was only the third time in history that Saudis had gone to the polls. There were no elections in the 40 years between 1965 and 2005. The decision to allow women to take part was taken by the late King Abdullah and is seen as a key part of his legacy. Before he died in January, he appointed 30 women to the country’s top advisory Shura Council.
Nov 30, 2015
Saudi Arabia Women to Vote and Contest in Municipal Elections for the First time
In this regard, Saudi authorities allowed 979 women among the 6,917 registered candidates to campaign for 284 municipal councils as per the royal decree issued in 2011.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia held municipal elections in 2005 and 2011, but only men were allowed to take part.
government apparently is showing other countries that social participation of its women is expanding.
Presently, women make up one fourth of the country’s Shura Council which is an unelected body appointed by the king to propose laws for government but cannot pass them.
Oct 30, 2015
Raif Badawi wins EU’s Sakharov Prize 2015
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has been selected for European Union’s prestigious Sakharov Prize for human rights for year 2015.
European Parliament assembly in Strasbourg, France has honoured Mr. Bidawi with this award considering him as a symbol of the fight for freedom of speech.
Raif Badawi, author of the website Free Saudi Liberals received an international fame in 2012 after he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes in Saudi Arabia for insulting Muslim clerics.
He was one of 3 nominees for this year’s edition prize along with the Assassinated Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and Venezuelan opposition movement Mesa de la Unidad Democratica.
About Sakharov Prize
- The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is annual award given by the European Parliament.
- Bestowed on individuals or organisations who have dedicated their lives to the defence of human rights and freedom of thought.
- Established in December 1988 and named after Soviet scientist (physicist) and dissident Andrei Sakharov.
- The first prize was jointly awarded to South African Nelson Mandela and Russian human rights campaigner Anatoly Marchenko.
- It is awarded annually on or around December 10, the day on which the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, also celebrated as Human Rights Day.
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