Change hits Saudi Arabia: 900 women run for office

(CNN) – More than 900 women are campaigning for public office in Saudi Arabia — a first in the kingdom’s history.

The December 12 municipal election will be the first opportunity for Saudi women to vote or run for office since a 2011 order by the now deceased King Abdullah that granted women some opportunities for political participation in the ultra-conservative Sunni kingdom.

Critics have described the change as anywhere from modest to inconsequential. Women will only participate in elections at the municipal level.

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