▁did ▁first ▁vote ▁and ▁first ▁run ▁for ▁office ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁for ▁those ▁coun c ils . ▁Sal ma ▁b int ▁H iz ab ▁al - O te ib i ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁elected ▁female ▁politician ▁in ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁when ▁she ▁won ▁a ▁seat ▁on ▁the ▁council ▁in ▁Mad rak ah ▁in ▁Me cca ▁province . ▁In ▁all , ▁the ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁election ▁in ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia ▁resulted ▁in ▁twenty ▁women ▁being ▁elected ▁to ▁municipal ▁coun c ils . ▁ ▁The ▁king ▁declared ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁that ▁women ▁would ▁be ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁be ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁Sh ura ▁Council , ▁an ▁une lect ed ▁body ▁that ▁issues ▁advis ory ▁opinions ▁on ▁national ▁policy . ▁'" This ▁is ▁great ▁news ," ▁said ▁Sa udi ▁writer ▁and ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁activ ist ▁W aje ha ▁al - H u wa ider . ▁" W omen ' s ▁voices ▁will ▁finally ▁be ▁heard . ▁Now ▁it ▁is ▁time ▁to ▁remove ▁other ▁bar riers ▁like ▁not ▁allowing ▁women ▁to ▁drive ▁cars ▁and ▁not ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁function , ▁to ▁live ▁a ▁normal ▁life ▁without ▁male ▁guard ians ." ' ▁Robert ▁L ace y , ▁author ▁of ▁two ▁books ▁about ▁the ▁kingdom , ▁said , ▁" This ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁positive , ▁progress ive ▁speech ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁since ▁the ▁Arab ▁Spring .... ▁First ▁the ▁warnings , ▁then ▁the ▁pay ments