Culturally, it is a region of the world that many are unfamiliar with and have difficulties understanding the religious-based laws. But in . Adam Coogle, a Middle East researcher for Human Rights Watch, said that Saudi authorities must scrap the male guardianship system and allow Saudi women to have "full control over all of the major decisions that affect their lives. I have a strong opposing viewpoint. Come and learn about this country's geography, history and culture, and find out special fun facts. By the end of the day you are electing individuals with no mandate and it's just municipal councils. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi became the first elected female politician in Saudi Arabia as a result of the election, when she won a seat on the council in Madrakah in Mecca province. The viral 2017 dance move was prohibited by the Saudi Interior Ministry's National Commission for Combating Drugs because of its association with drug culture. And in 1968, Munira Mosli and Safeya Binzagr were the first Saudi women whose work was featured in an exhibition in the country. Part of the reason might be some women in addition to men feel the councils are inconsequential and are simply not interested in participating, said Coogle. Each year, the capital Riyadh is now punctuated with artworks for the world's largest festival of lights. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The council advises the king and can propose laws. All rights reserved. Mohammed Fahad Al-Qahtani, Saudi activist. In September, Saudi Arabia rolled out 19 new public-decency laws, some of which, if violated, are punishable with a maximum $1,600 (6,000 riyal) fine or, in severe cases, imprisonment. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has announced that women will have the right to vote in the next Saudi elections. Those who break the law are subject to hundreds of lashes, deportation, fines, or imprisonment. Women's participation [ edit] The move to allow women to vote has been described as a step forward for equality in the male-dominated kingdom. Saudi Arabia agrees to let women drive. The womens low agreement, 66%, was shocking for me. Do it as soon as possible or, at the very least, when the election season is through. The new public-decency code explicitly warns against public displays of affection, so be wary where your hands are. Voting only occurs for municipal offices. The law has been introduced by stating that anyone over the age of 21 can partake in voting. I really appreciated that you brought to light both sides of this coin. Your vote is very important to the government as it enables its citizens to participate in decisions that affect their lives. OVERSEAS VOTING IN BURAIDAH. Recently, there have been many conversations about regulating womens health benefits in the United States. However, an interesting shift is underway. My point of bringing this up in terms of this conversation, is that even with the multitude of differences between the United States and Saudi Arabia, there are still many things that separate women from men in both cultures. Saudi Arabia's Consultative Assembly (Majlis ash-Shura) is wholly advisory in function, with 150 appointed members and the Speaker, currently Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh, appointed by the King. The late King Abdullah, who died in January, issued a decree in 2011 ordering that women be allowed to vote in municipal elections and stand as candidates. Who dethroned Shah in Islamic Revolution? In case you are wondering where the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia is located, below is a map guide for you: Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Who was the first democratically-elected president of South Africa? The developments came ahead of King Salmans visit to the White House on Friday, when he and President Barack Obama are expected to discuss counterterrorism efforts, the conflicts in Yemen and Syria, and the Iran nuclear agreement. Several NDI participants ran for Women's Rights Since 2018. European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights, Dubai-based cultural strategist and art consultant Myrna Ayad. Consulate-General of Philippines in Jeddah, https://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/OverseasVoting/2022NLE/CLOV/MIDAF/RIYADH.pdf, https://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/OverseasVoting/2022NLE/CLOV/MIDAF/JEDDAH.pdf, https://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/OverseasVoting/2022NLE/CLOV/MIDAF/POLO_AL-KHOBAR.pdf, Official List of Certified Filipino Voters in USA for 2022 National Elections, Official List of Certified Filipino Voters in Canada for 2022 National Elections, How Filipinos Can Vote in Saudi Arabia for Philippine Elections 2022, List of Certified Overseas Filipino Voters Abroad for Philippine Elections, Official List of Certified Filipino Voters in Kuwait for 2022 National Elections, Official List of Certified Filipino Voters in Qatar for 2022 National Elections, Official List of Certified Filipino Voters in Thailand for 2022 National Elections, Check OFW voters list in Al Khobar here . Saudi officials first proposed allowing women to vote in 2005, according to Human Rights Watch. Who were the kings of the United Monarchy? The King selects the other half, according to the U.S. State Department. It seems as though the nation is pretty divided on these issues. Alcohol of any kind is banned in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabias male guardianship system is a larger issue that needs to be addressed, he continued. Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics There's a lot of money there for himself and the public Saudi Arabia has a very young population who have been mostly very bored for the last 30 years because of how restricted society has been. Not expressed is some womens disapproval of the lifted ban. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. It is also hoped that once women start driving, they will become a larger part of the workforce. Outside of Saudi Arabia: +966 11 488 3800. Two years later, he ordered that at least 20% of seats in the Consultative Council be set aside for women. "There was not much improvement, I would say it, or even communication because if you try to call him, you cannot find him," he said of elected officials. Arguments against female suffrage were that not enough women would be available to staff female polling stations (gender segregation is normal in the country) and that only a small number of women held ID cards, which would be required in order for them to vote. Who is the leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan? The decision to allow women to vote broke with tradition and sent a profound message to the people of Saudi Arabia. Importing drones for commercial or personal use is prohibited without approval from the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. OLEAD 410: Leadership in a Global Context, October 3, 2017 by Naomi Josephine Goldberg 5 Comments. See full answer below. This is something that many view as a great victory, but there are many who fear the backlash from conservatives. More than 1.3 million men have registered to vote, according to the Saudi government. As westerners, we see the women as suffering because they dont live the same way we do when in reality, some of them may not see it the same way. For the first time in the country's history, women in Saudi Arabia have been given the right to vote and stand as political candidates in the upcoming elections. Only those included in this list are allowed to vote. Not a single female has ever been appointed as a minister in Saudi Arabia, and women hold only 30 seats of the 150-seat shura council, which is not nearly enough to influence the 2/3 majority vote required for recommendations to proceed forward to the King . Please see the updated information about it below from their official Facebook Page: Embassy of the Philippines in Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaAddress: C3 Radaif Street, Diplomatic QuarterRiyadh, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaP.O. Contact Rossalyn Warren at rossalyn.warren@buzzfeed.com. King Abdullah announced on Sunday that women would be allowed to take part in future polls, and she then opted not to protest Thursday's ballot. It can also assist if you take time off from work to vote. Sex-reassignment surgery is illegal in Saudi Arabia. But there's also a massive rave in the desert outskirts of the capital Riyadh in December, an Andy Warhol exhibition currently underway in the oasis city AlUla and an international film festival whose third edition starts in November. Saudi Arabia included, there are at least five countries that On Sunday, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah decreed that women will have the right to vote and run for local elections, starting in 2015. Regardless of who you vote for in the upcoming elections, its important that voters exercise their rights. Trailing behind Saudi Arabia were Syria, Pakistan and Yemen. New York, NY: Routledge. Islam prohibits consumption of pork, and as the birthplace of the religion, Saudi Arabia adheres to this principle with gusto. The fine for taking someone's photo without permission is 1,000 riyals, or $266. They found an 82% jump in executions since King Salman and his son the crown prince came to power in 2015. Joe Biden landed in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah to a tepid welcome from the Saudi crown prince whose country he once pledged to make a "pariah" on the world stage. On November 14, Abdel-Rahman al-Hassani, a Moroccan journalist and editor-in-chief of the weekly Hadihi al-Dunia ( This World ), was expelled from Saudi Arabia without being informed of the. Saudi Arabia just recently made the decision that granted women the right to vote, as well as run for public office. If you are a Filipino overseas worker in the Kingdom who has registered before, you will be able to see your name from this official list. Lebanese filmmaker Dania Bdeir recently premiered her short film Warsha, which explores gender identity, at the Red Sea International Film Festival. Because Filipinos in the kingdom of Saudiconstitute one of theworlds biggest communitiesof overseas Filipinos, their votes will very certainly influence the election results. Now, measures giving the councils more power are in the works. RIYADH: "I'm very proud to recognize that Saudi Arabia recently voted in favor of the latest United Nations General Assembly resolution, clearly supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial. However, I do accept and respect their choice. Najla Khaled, a 24 year-old English literature major, described voting "as a huge step for women in Saudi." Though women make up just 10 per cent of registered voters, the right to simply cast a. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. That's beginning.". You may be able to access alcohol on the flight over, but if you are deemed to be intoxicated at customs, you risk arrest. UPDATE: Currently, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has not yet posted the certified list of absentee voters (overseas voters), so please stay tuned. I am curious, do you think there are other similarities within the Saudi Arabian culture and our own that are not obvious until we further investigate as you did here in your blog post? All requests will be endorsed to and must first be approved by the COMELEC before an overseas voter will be allowed to vote in a venue different from his/her place of registration. Attach a copy of your passports information page and indicate your place of registration as well as where you want to vote. 2. Women also cant drive to registration sites unless they are accompanied by a male. The country is full of wonder, with five pristine UNESCO heritage sights, Red Sea beach resorts, and futuristic cities like Riyadh. The female winners include Salma al-Oteibi in the Mecca region, Lama al-Suleiman and Rasha Hufaithi in Jeddah, Hanouf al-Hazimi in Al Jouf province, and Sanaa al-Hammam and Masoumah Abdelreda in. Saudi artists find ways around censorship, such as Nasser Al-Salem, who uses mixed media to re-contextualize traditional Arabic calligraphy. In 1974 Henry Kissinger brokered a deal: Israel would back off its territorial ambitions, the Arab states would end the embargo, and oil would be traded in dollars. Saudi Arabia just recently made the decision that granted women the right to vote, as well as run for public office. This guide will help you in getting started if you are already registered to vote in Saudi Arabia. He heads the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association in Riyadh, which called for a nationwide boycott of the polls. What does it mean if my name is included in the list of Overseas Voters? Who were the kings of the United Kingdom of Israel? This means youve finished all of the registration criteria. Women began protesting this more recently, but most efforts have been shut down. Several agreements will be signed with major universities in Saudi Arabia to support and promote yoga over the next few . I think that this is how we develop tolerance, we develop understanding," she said. This is why its so important to vote for the right people. A Saudi man visits an arts exhibition by late US artist Andy Warhol at the Maraya concert hall in the ruins of AlUla, a UNESCO World Heritage site in northwestern Saudi Arabia, on February 19, 2023. Who did the Bush administration sell weapons to? Wednesday marks the 95th anniversary of women's suffrage in the United States . Larisa Epatko The late King Abdullah, who died in January, issued a decree in 2011 ordering that women be. S audi Arabia's historic elections Saturday, in which women . Amid turmoil, Saudi King Abdullah brought stability, pushed reforms. More than 50 watchers from various registered political parties and accredited Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) organizations attended the seminar. Registration of Overseas Electors. In Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to vote. Saudi Arabia women voted in municipal elections Saturday morning, marking the first time they have been allowed to cast ballots in the conservative nation. Munirah al-Sinani, a 72-year-old Saudi woman, drives her car in the eastern Saudi Arabian city of Dhahran on June 11, 2019. Thank you for bringing this issue up! Other women said they feared a backlash from Saudi authorities, especially after a woman in the coastal city of Jiddah was sentenced this week to 10 lashes for flouting the kingdom's ban on women drivers. You can get in touch with them using the information provided at the conclusion of this guide. Please refer to the official statement here: Preparation and Posting of Certified List of Overseas Absentee Voters. But it wasn't just handed to themthey had to demand it. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia In December, women in Saudi Arabia will run for public office and vote for the . You can read more about living in Saudi Arabia here. This will allow you to deliver a valuable service to your countrymen and the country, in general. Did you encounter any technical issues? They have a huge collection of names that are all alphabetically ordered. Qahtani says Saudis want a real say in how their affairs are run. These are serious steps that the government needs to look at if it really wants to liberate women and fundamentally change the role that Saudi women can play in society., Follow @NewsHourWorld// , Left: You may vote in the succeeding elections after this. : (+966) 5516-99548 (POLO); (+966) 5012-69742 (POLO ERO)(+966) 5698-93301 (ATN); (+966-11) 4823-559 (Duty Officer)Email: riyadh.pe@dfa.gov.ph / riyadh.mis@dfa.gov.phWebsite: www.riyadhpe.dfa.gov.phFacebook account: https://www.facebook.com/PHLinKSA/. Women in Vatican City and Saudi Arabia still do not have the right to vote. Alternatively you can incorporate your company without traveling to Saudi Arabia. At the same time, Im thinking about the remaining 44% and wish them carriage to fulfill their dreams. Women were granted the right to vote in the country's limited elections in 2015. In Saudi Arabia, women cannot vote in all elections. The Phil. Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Its government is an absolute monarchy, not a representative government. In December of 2015 Sa Women were allowed to vote and . Who can remove the vice president of India? When will the list of certified absentee voters in Saudi Arabia be released? A total of 5,938 men are running for the local offices, which mostly oversee planning and development issues. They were not allowed to because of a government ban. I registered as an overseas absentee voter in 2013 and I was able to vote in the 2013 and 2016 National Elections but was unable to vote in the 2019 National Elections. 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The gender gap point was also high, 12 when the survey asked about equal legal rights. Press ReleasePR No. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. Toensure that you are entitled to vote, there are several ways to determine if you are qualified to do so. That's a turnout of less than 5 percent. First, the [] That wasn't enough to satisfy critics like Mohammed Fahad Al-Qahtani. Photo by STR/AFP/Getty Images. In a famous September 2018 case, an Egyptian man was arrested in Saudi Arabia for having breakfast with an unmarried woman in the family section of a restaurant and posting a video of it to social media. Those who break the law are subject to hundreds of lashes, deportation, fines, or imprisonment. Who is entitled to vote? Attached I have an excerpt from a 2007 Gallup poll, where men and women were asked their opinion on womens suffrage issues.