Friday, January 11, marked a turning point in the history of Saudi women as the country appointed 30 women to serve a four-year term as members of the previously all-male consultative Shoura Council founded in 1993, which advises the Kingdom's leadership on legislative issues. The Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia functions as the formal advisory body of Saudi Arabia's leader and, just like a parliament, but without formal powers, is authorized to draft laws and forward them to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who passes and enforces them. The Shoura Council also has the right to review the country's annual budget, call in ministers for questioning, and recommend changes or additions to the government. Women will now hold one-fifth of the 150 Shoura seats after a change in the Council's law to stipulate that at least 20 percent of its members should be female, enjoying the rights of full membership, and being part of the decision-making process on serious matters alongside their male counterparts. The Council's 30 female members include leading figures from education, health care and science, and this move makes Saudi Arabia the fourth highest in the Arab region in terms of women's political participation in parliament. The recent move to involve women in the public sphere followed the announcement of King Abdullah on September 25, 2011, in which he said: “We made this decision because we refuse to marginalize women in Saudi society in their roles that comply with the Islamic Shariah and following consultations with many of our scholars who supported it." Saudi women will also be granted the right to cast ballots and to run as candidates in the next local municipal elections set for 2015. Both of these opportunities for Saudi women are viewed as part of the nation's series of incremental progressive political reforms, particularly with reference to women's political rights in Saudi Arabia. Having female scholars, experts, and specialists as Shoura Council members could help to change the image of women by highlighting their role in society and their achievements. In addition, many laws and measures will likely be suspended or amended for women which will raise awareness about the perils of legal inequality. Moreover, Saudi women will have a much stronger voice to discuss issues which involve them which will help them secure more rights in the future. Although these moves have elicited praise, all agree that substantial change will not happen overnight and that the moves may initially have little effect on Saudi society. However, some long-term effects are indeed expected. On the occasion of this historical event, I would like to ask this big question: What do Saudi women want for themselves, from their society, and from the world? The answer that Saudi women give to this question could be: “We want to be given our due rights as clearly stated in Islamic law and not those subject to interpretation and manipulation as a result of male domination and control. We ask for more opportunities, and we want to be allowed to actively participate in the political process and in the country's development. “We want to say to our own people, especially our male counterparts: 'Open all of the roads to us women, and value and accept out contribution to the ongoing growth process and reform which our country is experiencing. We indeed are, as always, armed with knowledge, faith, and virtue.'” What Saudi women are saying to the world in general could be: “You have no right to speak on our behalf. Your efforts to impose upon us your values and traditions will run into strong resistance. In fact, we only want your support, not your pressure. We can defend our rights and represent ourselves even when we are wearing our abayas and covering our faces. We would be highly grateful if you understood that our having to cover our bodies and not being able to drive are minor issues compared with the large challenges that we women are facing. Changes are on their way, but things take time, and consider the fact that we are still a young country—only some 80 years old. It took, for example, Susan B. Anthony and other American women a long time to gain some rights for American women, including the right to vote, which they won only after the United States was 144 years old." Saudi women are the driving force in Saudi society, and as such, it is imperative that we treasure their role and contribution to society as a whole and particularly in the legislative process. No society can move forward without making use of the invaluable contribution that women can give, and Saudi society is no exception. — The writer is a Saudi academic who can be reached at [email protected]
