JEDDAH, 26 November 2005 — All eyes are on Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) today as the election to its board of directors begins with 17 women contesting alongside 54 male candidates — for the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia.
Women’s participation in the elections has grabbed attention worldwide amid reports that some female candidates might surprise everyone by winning. In an unprecedented move, Saudi authorities gave the green light last September for women to run in the chamber elections.
Five coalitions and a number of independents are taking part in what is described as the most-hotly contested election in JCCI history. On the 18-member board, 12 seats are up for grabs. Six members will be appointed by the Ministry of Commerce.
Women members will vote today and tomorrow and businessmen will vote on Monday and Tuesday at the chamber’s Sheikh Ismail Abu Dawood Hall. Balloting will take place in two sessions — 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. — for the convenience of the electorate. Voting will also be held at JCCI’s branches in Qunfudha and Rabigh.
Ulfat Qabbani, the only female candidate running in the industrialist segment, is optimistic that women would win a few seats. “I am sure that the members will vote for the best and trustworthy candidates” irrespective of their gender, she added.
According to Qabbani, the participation in the election itself is a big victory for women. “Even if all women candidates lose the election, the biggest winner will still be the principle that allowed them to contest side by side men,” she pointed out.
This election, she said, would give businesswomen necessary experience to participate in future elections in a more forceful manner.
Women candidates are excited over the new experience. They worked day and night and did everything they could to reach out to all voters, male and female. They will be present in the registration hall to meet voters.
“We want to raise awareness among the women about the importance of voting and the importance of having women representatives on the board,” said Lama Al-Sulaiman, one of the candidates.
She and Nashwa Taher are with the Lejeddah group. “They invited us to join their group and we felt that the goals of the group are in line with our aims,” Taher told Arab News.
Besides Lejeddah and the all-woman Al-Awael group, which is fielding seven candidates, the Future group also has a female candidate on its panel. The group recently invited Madawi Al-Hassoun — the first woman to officially register her candidacy — to join its list. Other female candidates are running as independents.
Most women candidates were present at the Future Training Center for Women last week speaking to the women voters about their campaign agenda. Empowerment of women and support for small and medium establishments were the focus of all candidates.
Khadeeja Bokhari, who obtained her first commercial registration 28 years ago and currently works in sectors such as real estate and trade, is focusing on training and job creation. Abeer Salama campaigned for the need to better classification of women business registrations while Hussa Al-Aun called for wider investment opportunities for women.
Maher Bundagji, the youngest male candidate who is running as an independent, told Arab News that he tried to persuade candidates who have been contesting elections repeatedly and winning seats on the board to give way to the younger generation and make a difference. “They keep making the same promises and we haven’t seen any real change through decades,” he said.
