Marhaba! From recent posts, especially ones on International Women’s Day, you would know by now that I believe in gender equality and hope that in my lifetime that these issues will be finally resolved. As you might know already that in many countries around the globe there is a still a glass ceiling that prevents women from getting positions that are usually reserved for men. While you might imagine that in our days this is completely nonsensical and illogical, forms of gender discrimination still exist. However, I found a glimpse of hope when I came across a very interesting and recent story about women being allowed to partake in elections in Saudi Arabia. It’s a new beginning and hope this will trigger new rounds of changes for women in Saudi Arabia, elsewhere in the Arab world, and around the globe.
Image by Tribes of the World via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
I am sharing this interesting news story in the form of a listening comprehension exercise from BBC Arabic. Though it is important to practice your reading and writing skills with reading comprehension exercises, it is equally important to perfect your listening skills. As always, I have some questions for you to answer. Good luck! Share your thoughts on the news story on this page and/or via our Twitter/Facebook pages.
Questions:
1) What were the two achievements for Saudi women in these elections that constituted a historic moment for them?
2) How many Saudi women were elected to city councils in Jedda?
3) What happened inside the city council of Jedda which one of the elected women saw as a limitation to her success?
4) What was the ‘password’ of the 20+ women that were elected in the latest city council elections in Saudi Arabia?
5) What is the current debate about in Saudi Arabia regarding women in politics?
For now take care and stay tuned for the answers soon! Happy Learning! Have a nice day!! نهاركمسعيد
Salam everyone! Born as an American to two originally Arab parents, I have been raised and have spent most of my life in Beirut, Lebanon. I have lived my good times and my bad times in Beirut. I was but a young child when I had to learn to share my toys and food with others as we hid from bombs and fighting during the Lebanese Civil War. I feel my connection to Arabic as both a language and culture is severing and so it is with you, my readers and fellow Arabic lovers, and through you that I wish to reestablish this connection by creating one for you.
