Saudi women's right to vote

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia announced last month that Saudi women "will have the right to run in the municipal elections and to choose candidates" though they will have to wait for another four years to exercise those rights. Women are also to be given representation in the Shura Council starting from the next term. The reason cited for not allowing woman participation in the election held this month was that nominations had already closed. The US and Britain have hailed the announcements calling them a significant step forward for the Saudi people although, as the preceding details show, nothing is about to change in real terms in the next four years at least. Considering the lectures these countries give to certain other nations about the virtues of democracy, and the influence they have with the kingdom, they could have pressed for a meaningful change. A convenient argument trotted out in support of the status quo is that Western countries should not try to impose their values on other societies. Needless to say, freedom is a universal value - something all peoples aspire to have. Women in Saudi Arabia are barred from driving cars or travelling without the consent of a male guardian. The king while announcing voting and representation rights did not say anything about letting women drive. People in other conservative Muslim societies, such as our own as well as Bangladesh, who having elected women to the highest public office of prime minister may be at a loss to understand what is the big deal about giving women the rights to participate in the political process or letting them sit behind the steering wheel. Copyright Business Recorder, 2011