The municipal elections in Saudi Arabia are coming up. Why is that of interest? Because Saudi women are running for election and will be able to vote for the first time on December 12—a first in the kingdom’s history, which is taking very small steps on a long road towards emancipation. During the campaign, women weren’t allowed to put their pictures on campaign material and were not allowed to talk to men when campaigning in public. But it’s a start. So far, 900 women seized the opportunity to run for office, and 136,000 women have registered to vote, compared to about 10 times that number of male voters, and over 6,000 men running for office. Electoral democracy is in general a new concept in Saudi Arabia, where tribal loyalties are very important.
For the first time in history, Saudi women are voting and running for office
More of Today's Solutions
How citizen scientists are driving tangible change in Australia
Citizen science has evolved as a formidable force in conservation, propelled by regular people's passion and dedication to conserving our planet's irreplaceable ecosystems. Citizen ...
Read MoreMeet Dr. Wade: writer of thousands of Wikipedia pages for women scientists
Though the world has made some strides in gender equality, there is certainly still room for improvement, especially in the field of science, technology, ...
Read MoreArt preserves endangered flora in Himalayas—where conservation and culture co...
"In 2002, I was returning to Kalimpong in the eastern Himalaya region of India, and I found numerous trees had been cut down for ...
Read MorePrescribed thinning and controlled burns critical in preventing California wi...
A pioneering two-decade-long study done in California's Sierra Nevada mountains confirms the effectiveness of forest management strategies such as restorative thinning and regulated burning ...
Read More
