Women in Saudi Arabia have cast their votes for the first time in the country's history for municipal elections.
According to The Guardian, more than 5,000 men and about 980 women are standing as candidates for municipal council seats while at least 130,000 women have registered to vote, compared to 1.35 million men.
The election, which does not have quotas for female candidates, is widely regarded as a small but significant opening for women to play a more equal role in Saudi society.
Not many women are expected to win seats because of the number of male candidates and because many had no previous experience running campaigns. Many also said they could not afford the high cost of running a public campaign.
