Gulf | Saudi Arabia
Women put up spirited fight in Riyadh chamber elections
For the first time in the 50-year history of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, women candidates are putting up a tough challenge to their male counterparts in the election to the chamber's 12-member board of directors.
- By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
- Published: 23:42 November 12, 2008
- Members of the Saudi Chamber of Commerce vote for a new president on Wednesday.
- Image Credit: Reuters
Riyadh: For the first time in the 50-year history of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, women candidates are putting up a tough challenge to their male counterparts in the election to the chamber's 12-member board of directors.
There was a heavy turnout for voting at the chamber headquarters on the first day of polling yesterday. Counting of votes will be held today immediately after the polling process ends, in which most of the 41,000 members of the chamber are expected to take part.
Long queues of voters were seen at the polling station. Candidates have erected their own tents at the entrance of a polling station located south of Riyadh.
Electronic facilities are being used to facilitate smoother voting procedures for the first time.
There are 37 candidates in the fray, including three women. The female candidates are Amal Badr Al Deen, Basma Sa'ad Al Deen and Huda Al Jeraisi.
This is for the first time women are contesting the elections to the chamber board since its formation half a century ago. Earlier, women were elected to the board of directors of the chambers in Jeddah and Dammam.
During the campaign, candidates employed highly advanced facilities and electronic devices to attract voters. They managed to establish close contacts with some 41,000 voters through various means of communications such as e-mail, SMS and fax, besides telephone calls.
Most of the candidates also visited homes of a large number of businessmen and businesswomen seeking their votes. They also met some other voters at the branches of the chamber in various parts of the city.
Women represent 14.11 per cent of the workforce in the Kingdom. They hold about 20 per cent of the assets of the Saudi investment funds.
Women's contest in the Riyadh chamber coincides with a string of measures and decisions taken by the government of Saudi Arabia for the empowerment of women during the current year.
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