Saudi Arabia, one of the most traditional Arab countries, finally opens its voting polls and municipal elections to women starting in 2015.
“This is a pretty historic event,” said Jen’nan Read, associate professor of sociology and global health. “A lot of people thought this would never come about, especially not this soon.”
Since its establishment, Saudi Arabia has maintained traditional gender roles mandating that women not have the right to vote, hold office or drive cars. For the government to reverse these long-established conventions then speaks to the magnitude of these developments says Read.
Frances Hasso, associate professor of women's studies, is more skeptical about the ultimate significance of these new developments.
“The changes are significant in some ways and insignificant in others,” Hasso said. “It’s a ridiculously sexist context. The fact that it’s so controversial to give women limited voting rights and the right to drive tells you something about the nature of the regime and the political forces in the country.”
Both Read and Hasso agree, however, that the changes are certainly steps in the right direction.
The new developments were instigated by the intersection of three central factors, Read said.
One factor was the uprisings occurring throughout the rest of the Arab world. Although few believed revolts would spread to Saudi Arabia, Read said, the tumultuous developments elsewhere caused many people to question the social policies governing the country.
The efforts of a rising class of wealthy, educated women who have traveled to other countries also contributed to the change.
“We may not see it overtly,” Read said. “But behind closed doors, with their husbands and father, women were probably privately lobbying for a long time.”
Many of these such Saudi women have traveled to more liberal Western nations where they were exposed to cultures in which women enjoyed more rights. It is important to note, Read added, that Saudi women do not necessarily desire to emulate the West. Rather, the more liberal cultures of the west expanded their notions of possibilities for their own rights. These sentiments have been developing for some time.
“It has always been like this,” Read said. “It did not happen overnight.”
Change was imminent. If Saudi Arabia wished to continue as an influential constituent on the global political stage, the country would have to modify its policies regarding women.
“People in charge realized that if they wanted to be powerful on the world stage, they had to have equality,” Read said. “Even the monarchy knows that they were living in the dark ages.”
The convergence of these three central factors precipitated the change.
“It was the perfect storm where everything came together,” Read said.
It is too early to tell whether these policy changes, which will not come into effect until the 2015 elections, will be meaningful or if they are merely conciliatory gestures from the government to pacify public uprising.
Although it is significant that conservative Muslim clerics supported the addition of women’s voting rights, it remains to be seen if women will indeed run or if they will be voted into office.
Women still do not have the right to drive, the newfound rights to vote and run for office is definitely progress.
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