First Women Elected to Public Office in Saudi Arabia

At least two women have won municipal council seats in Saudi Arabia's first election open to women voters and candidates. Early results Sunday show Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi is the first confirmed victory for a woman running for a municipal council seat, beating out seven men and two other women for the position in Madrakah, about 150 kilometers north of Mecca. Of the 6,440 candidates in the local elections, about 900 were woman, despite obstacles in running and registering to...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - dimanche 13 décembre 2015