Women in Saudi Arabia 'to vote and run in elections'

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Women in Saudi Arabia are to be given the right to vote and run in municipal elections, the Gulf Kingdom's King Abdullah has announced.

He said they would also have the right to be appointed to the consultative Shura Council.

The news will be welcomed by activists who have long called for greater rights for women in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

The changes will take effect from next year, the king said.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15052030

[MADem]

1. Of course, they still can't go out alone and can't drive themselves to the polls!!

How fascinating, though, that the king is feeling the pressure.

He's like Warren Harding, who advocated for women's suffrage because he wanted their votes!

Of course, a lot can happen in FOUR long years--we'll see if this is BS or not then, when the next municipal elections are held.

[ensho]

2. wonderful! - step by step women are gaining equal rights there

there are a lot of smart educated women there and I'm wishing them well

[Bucky]

3. The backlash will be ugly. In the long run this is good (&inevitable). But for a few years...

I think this is gonna bring a lot of terrorist chickens home to roost for the moneybanks funding the Wahhabi insanity around the world.

[Posteritatis]

4. Small steps are still steps, though it still sucks that they're at such a basic level. (nt)

[aquart]

5. That Arab spring is a long season.

[ellisonz]

6. That's progress.

[Vidar]

7. It's a step in the right direction--much more than I expected. Sometimes it's nice to be wrong.

[slackmaster]

8. On the other hand, driving a woman to a polling place is now a ticketable infraction...

...in the Saudi Vehicle Code.