By Faris Al-Qahtani

Okaz/Saudi Gazette




RIYADH — Only four female members of the Shoura (Consultative) Council were able to secure senior positions in four of the council's 14 committees against six last year. None of them was appointed chairperson of any of the committees but the four were voted to be deputy chairpersons.

In a secret balloting, the council members on Monday chose the chair and deputy chairpersons of the committees.

The four women members who were appointed deputy chairpersons of different committees were: Mastoura Al-Shammari (social affairs, family and youth), Moda Al-Khalaf (foreign affairs), Fardous Al-Saleh (human rights), and Alya Dahlawi (health).

Last year, Muna Al-Mushayat chaired the council's health committee. She was the first woman to lead that committee.

The number of women members who were deputy chairpersons of the committees came down to four this year from five last year.

The four deputy chairpersons will assume their new positions when the second year of the council's seventh session starts on Nov. 24. Each committee consists of 9-11 members except the two committees on foreign affairs and education which each has 12 members.

The committees will study the concerned issues before making recommendations to the general assembly.

The chair and deputy chairpersons of six committees remained the same while eight of them have changed.

The six committees which maintained their chair and deputy chairpersons were those on: the Islamic and judiciary affairs, social affairs, family and youth, Haj, housing and services, transport, communications and IT, education and research and water, agriculture and environment.

There are 30 women out of the council's 150 members.