Saudi women can now vote for the first time ever

Saudi women
(Image credit: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images)

Voter registration opened up for women this week in Saudi Arabia, marking the first time in the country's history that women will be able to cast ballots and run in local elections. While the law granting females the right to vote and run for office was officially enacted four years ago, in September 2011, this week marks the first time that Saudi women are actually able to reap the benefits of the law.

In a country with historically limited women's rights, this is a huge step forward. "The participation of the Saudi women in the municipal elections as voters and candidates was a dream for us," Jamal Al-Saadi, one of the first women to receive her voter card, told the Saudi Gazette. "The move will enable Saudi women to have a say in the process of the decision making."

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