DAMMAM: The recent announcement that women will once again be excluded from both running and voting in this year's municipal elections has produced a range of responses. Ilfat Qabani, businesswoman and vice chairwoman of the Industrial Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Al-Madina Arabic daily that their continued absence was a “blow to all women interested in public work and the development of this country”. “I can't understand the fear that some people speak of about women being admitted onto municipal councils,” she said. “Neighboring countries like Bahrain and Kuwait are ahead of us in this and it has been a clear success for them. We have also seen the success of women here in the last two elections at the Chambers of Commerce in Jeddah and the Eastern Province.” Qabani rejected the idea proposed by some for a “virtual municipal council election” for women on the Internet. “Women form an important part of the fabric of this country and over half the population,” she said. “When we seek our rights we do it through dialogue and calm discussion, so we will approach the authorities to discuss the issue in order to get a change in the decisions.” Fouzia Al-Hani, who runs the “Baladi” campaign launched last year with 60 women academics, writers, journalists and rights activists, said the group is drawing up an official complaint to be taken to the Human Rights Commission and the National Society of Human Rights (NSHR) in the Kingdom. “We contacted the minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs last October but have yet to receive a response. The campaign aims not just to get women involved. We are also prepared to work with the ministry to help prepare their involvement in the municipal councils,” she said. The National Society of Human Rights has appealed to the authorities for the participation of women in the council elections, regarding it as “one of their rights”. “Should we receive a complaint about women's lack of involvement in the elections we will deal with it in the official manner,” said Suhaila Zain Al-Abideen, a member of the NSHR's executive board. “The society was created to defend human rights and prevent violations and it will not reject any complaint in that regard from either men or women.” She said that Saudi women “have the right to sit on municipal councils and vote”. “There are those who don't want women involved in public life and want to keep women's activities limited to certain, very narrow, fields,” she told Al-Madina. “Many do not recognize women's rights and want to keep them away from senior positions in the state.” It was announced late March that women would not be allowed to run as candidates or vote in this year's municipal elections due to a “lack of preparations”, but their involvement has not been ruled out for future ballots. Rahman Al-Dhamash, head of the municipal council elections committee, told the press that “there is no law barring women from running for election in the councils or taking part in the voting and election process,” and that “the law makes no distinction between women and men”. Instead their involvement, he said, depends on “preparations and facilities”. Voter registration for the municipal council elections begins on April 22 and is open for 27 days. Candidates running for election can register over six days beginning May 28. The actual vote to elect new members of municipal councils, who serve six-year terms, is scheduled to take place on Sept. 22.
