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, Mr. DEMINT, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, 

Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. COONS, 

Mr. LEE, Ms. AYOTTE, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. ISAKSON, and Mrs. 

HUTCHISON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JULY 27, 2011 

Reported by Mr. KERRY, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

JULY 29, 2011 

Considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended preamble 

RESOLUTION 

Encouraging women’s political participation in Saudi Arabia. 

Whereas, on September 29, 2011, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is scheduled to hold its first nationwide municipal 

elections since 2005; 

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 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
2 

SRES 216 ATS 

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

the participation of women in the municipal elections 

now.’’; 

Whereas the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud 

Al Faisal, stated in an interview after the 2005 election 

that 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, on June 6, 2011, the Majlis Al-Shura Consultative 

Council adopted a resolution recommending that the 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Rural and Municipal Affairs take the necessary measures to include female voters in future municipal elections; 

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), 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
3 

SRES 216 ATS 

‘‘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 

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, 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
4 

SRES 216 ATS 

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

it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) urges the Government of Saudi Arabia to 

3 allow women to fully participate, both as voters and 

4 candidates 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 partici8 pate equally in society; and 

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

10 Arabia and all nations to permit women to run for 

11 office, receive civic education, and vote in all elec12 tions. 

Æ 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS