The enfranchisement of women has been a pivotal aspect of global history, with significant milestones in Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Europe. Saudi Arabia's 2011 decree allowed women to vote and run for office, with the first female municipal council members elected in 2015. Sri Lanka was a pioneer in Asia, granting women voting rights in 1931 and electing the first female Prime Minister in 1960. Thailand's women's suffrage dates back to 1897, and European countries have varied timelines, with Switzerland and Liechtenstein being among the last to grant these rights.
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King Abdullah announced in 2011 that women in Saudi Arabia would be allowed to vote and run for office starting in 2015
First Female Politician Elected
In the 2015 municipal elections, Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi became the first female politician elected in Saudi Arabia
Historic Moment for Women's Political Engagement
The 2015 municipal elections saw a total of twenty women securing seats on municipal councils, marking a historic moment for Saudi women's political engagement
In 2013, two royal decrees were issued mandating that women occupy at least thirty seats on the influential advisory body, the Shura Council
The Ceylon Women's Union, formed in 1904, and the Women's Franchise Union, formed in 1925, were instrumental in advocating for women's suffrage in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's granting of unrestricted voting rights to women in 1931 and the election of the world's first female Prime Minister in 1960 demonstrate the country's progressive stance on women's rights
Sirimavo Bandaranaike's daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, continued the legacy by becoming Prime Minister in 1994 and the first female executive president of Sri Lanka
The Local Administrative Act of 1897 extended municipal voting rights to qualified female voters in Thailand
King Chulalongkorn's efforts to modernize Thailand and maintain its independence likely influenced the country's early adoption of women's suffrage
The transition to a parliamentary constitutional monarchy in 1932 solidified women's rights in Thailand, allowing them to vote and stand for election
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Saudi King's decree on women's voting rights
King Abdullah's 2011 decree allowed women to vote and run in 2015 elections.
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First female politician elected in Saudi Arabia
Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi, elected in Mecca province's Madrakah in 2015.
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Authority level of Saudi municipal councils
Saudi municipal councils are semi-elected with limited authority; half seats elective.
