III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 216 

Encouraging women’s political participation in Saudi Arabia. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 23, 2011 

Mrs. BOXER (for herself and Mr. DEMINT) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Encouraging women’s political participation in Saudi Arabia. 

Whereas, on September 22, 2011, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is scheduled to hold its first nationwide municipal 

elections since 2005, with voter registration open as of 

April 23, 2011; 

Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia has announced— 

as it did in 2005—that women will be unable to run for 

elective office or vote; 

Whereas, on March 28, 2011, president of the general committee for the election of municipal council members Abd 

al-Rahman Dahmash stated, ‘‘We are not prepared for 

the participation of women in the municipal elections 

now.’’; 

Whereas Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Saud Al 

Faisal stated in an interview after the 2005 election that 


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•SRES 216 IS 

he assumed women would be allowed to vote in future 

elections, and that this would benefit the election process 

because women were ‘‘more sensible voters than men’’; 

Whereas the decision by the Government of Saudi Arabia to 

continue to disenfranchise women in the September 2011 

municipal elections is inconsistent with a series of commitments made by the Government of Saudi Arabia; 

Whereas, in January 2003, Saudi Arabia proposed to the 

League of Arab States the ‘‘Covenant for Arab Reform,’’ 

resulting in the adoption of the ‘‘Tunis Declaration’’ at 

the May 2004 Arab Summit, which declared, among 

other things, a ‘‘firm determination’’ to ‘‘pursue reform 

and modernization’’ by ‘‘widening women’s participation 

in the political, economic, social, cultural and educational 

fields’’; 

Whereas these declarations were reaffirmed at the Arab Summit in Algiers on March 23, 2005, and at the Riyadh 

Summit held in Saudi Arabia on March 28, 2007; 

Whereas, in April 2009, Saudi Arabia ratified the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which states in article 24(3), 

‘‘Every citizen has the right . . . to stand for election or 

choose his representatives in free and impartial elections, 

in conditions of equality among all citizens that guarantee the free expression of his will.’’; 

Whereas, on June 10, 2009, the Government of Saudi Arabia 

accepted the majority of the recommendations put forward by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 

Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review including to ‘‘[a]bolish all legislation, measures and practices 

that discriminate against women . . . In particular, to 

abolish legislation and practices which prevent women 


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•SRES 216 IS 

from participating fully in society on an equal basis with 

men,’’ and to ‘‘end the strict system of male guardianship and give full legal identity to Saudi women’’; 

Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia has indicated that 

it is supportive of the human rights of women; 

Whereas, in November 2010, Saudi Arabia was elected to the 

Executive Board of UN Women, emphasizing the commitment of the Government of Saudi Arabia to the rights 

of women; 

Whereas ‘Abd al-Rahman Dahmash, the president of the general committee for the election of municipal council members, has stated that Saudi women will be granted the 

right to vote in the next municipal elections scheduled to 

be held in 2015; and 

Whereas, while the United States Government acknowledges 

the deep cultural and religious traditions and sentiments 

within Saudi society, without the right to vote on par 

with men, women in Saudi Arabia are denied not only a 

fundamental human right but also the ability to contribute fully to the economic development, modernization, 

and prosperity of their own country: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) calls on the Government of Saudi Arabia to 

3 allow women to participate, both as voters and can4 didates for elective office, in the September 2011 

5 elections; 

6 (2) supports the women of Saudi Arabia as they 

7 endeavor to exercise their human rights; and 


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1 (3) believes that it is in the interest of Saudi 

2 Arabia and all nations to permit women to run for 

3 office and vote in all elections. 

Æ 


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