After the recent local election in Saudi Arabia, the first poll casting to allow female candidates and voters, about 17 women have been elected to government positions, according to local reports.

The election saw a total of 17 women voted to office, according to a website affiliated with Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry. They represent only one percent (or less) of the total 2100 positions. 

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Many see this as a step forward towards democracy and gender equality, particularly for women who used to be completely prohibited to practice right of suffrage.

"Even if it was only one woman, we're really proud of that," women's rights activist Sahar Hassan Nasief said. "Honestly, we weren't expecting anyone to win." 

In addition, the King will also appoint 1050 individuals to office. This could see more women being appointed to office to ensure they are equally represented.

Before elections, there were more than 7000 aspiring individuals who registered for positions in the municipal council. Of these, 979 were women. 

The winners came from different parts of the kingdom. Two of them came from the al-Qassim region, another two in Jiddah, and at least three from al-Ahsa and Riyadh.

Most of the women have outlaiad plans like extending daycare hours for nurseries to cater for the needs of working mothers, establishing youth-centered sports and cultural activities, enhancing roads and infrastructures and disposing waste properly, to name a few.

Because of the stringent partitioning between genders, most women did their campaign over the Internet. To ensure fairness, the General Election Committee forbids both men and women to post their faces on flyers, billboards, TV ads or online.

Around 47 percent of the country's registered voters participated in latest elections. Of the 1.3 million registered men, 600,000 voted, while 106,000 out of 130,000 cast their ballots among women.

Despite the fast modernization of Saudi Arabia, women are still prohibited to drive and need to seek permission from male family members if they want to work, marry or travel. This election that for the first time allowed female candidates and voters is an initiative of the late King Abdullah.

Tagselection, women's rights, Saudi Arabia election