Emboldened by the historic decision of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, allowing women to vote and contest municipal elections, Baladi campaign members are hoping that women will be nominated to the municipal councils by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs after the elections on Thursday. “There was no chance for us to participate in this year's election. But the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs has the right to nominate members and we hope that they will nominate women to the councils,” said Dr. Nailah Attar, spokeswoman of the Baladi campaign. Baladi, Arabic for “My Country,” is a Facebook group of Saudi women which has been demanding that the authorities postpone the municipal elections for three months so officials can prepare for the participation of women. The Baladi campaign is planning to send a “thank you” letter to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the next few days. “We will include a request in our letter asking King Abdullah to allow women to be appointed to at least three or four seats,” added Attar. The Baladi campaign, according to Attar, has started a number of training programs that will educate women about election culture. “We have plenty of time before the next municipal polls to educate Saudi women about the meaning of elections,” she added. The Baladi campaign is a national initiative and independent women's campaign that seeks to achieve the effective and full participation of Saudi women in municipal councils through awareness and rehabilitation, believing in the importance of their role in the development of municipal services and social issues.
