DAMMAM, 21 February 2006 — Saudi businesswomen for the first time in the history of Eastern Province stood yesterday in a queue to cast their franchise to elect 12 members of the board of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
However, all the debate and discussions on women’s participation in the poll and extensive coverage by national and international media could not generate much response from the businesswomen electorate. Only 42 women, including the six women candidates, turned out to cast their votes out of a total of 417 registered voters.
Nasreen Al-Dossary, one of the four candidates who have formed an alliance called Wataniya (Nationalists) called the turnout “big”, but off-the-record many candidates expressed their dismay “at the apathy of the voters” that belied all their expectations.
Businessmen also admitted that the response of businesswomen was very discouraging. “Imagine just 10 percent of the voters came to cast their votes,” said Abdullah Al-Qahtani, a leading businessman from the Eastern Province.
But to Nadia Al-Dossary, an independent candidate, the turnout of the supporters was more important than the polling percentage.
“I can see hundreds of women in the hall, they may all not be voters, but their presence is an expression of support to our endeavor,” she told Arab News by phone.
Women sent SMS messages until the very last minute not only to businesswomen but also to the wives and sisters of businessmen who were allowed to vote.
“Participating in this election is success for us,” said Samia Al-Edrisi, one of the women candidates. “Even if we don’t win, we would have been able to send our message. But I do expect that at least one of us will win a seat.”
All four businesswomen are sure that they will be able to succeed if they have the chance to be in the administrative board in the chamber. Although they decided to go in for the experience before the elections in Jeddah, the fact that two women won in the elections there encouraged them more to go on.
Amina Al-Jassem, one of the candidates, said she was optimistic that many men were supporting the participation of women. “They realize that we want to work hard,” she said.
Many of the pro-reformists have welcomed women’s participation.
“It is a very healthy beginning and ushers in a new era,” said Al-Qahtani.
Most of the voters believe that women candidates have a very slim chance of making it to the board but they agree that “the businesswomen have arrived on the business front and that they will make their presence felt, whether they win the poll or not.”
The polling to the chamber elections will continue until tomorrow to elect 12 members to the board.
Six members will be nominated by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The counting is slated for Thursday.
