Human Rights Council Forum on Minority Issues Guaranteeing the rights of minority women Geneva 29th-30th November 2011 Article 4 of the agenda : minority women and effective political participation Introduction by En’am Abdul Jalil El Asfour, the Saudi Association for Women’s Development (DOAA), Qatif Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity. Also, thank you to the High Commissioner for Human Rights for including us in our colleagues’ programme on minorities, giving us the opportunity to participate in this valuable forum. The Shia minority in Saudi Arabia has Arab roots and the pure spiritual connection between the Saudi Shia and their religious ancestors abroad binds them together. In spite of the Shia representing 2% of the total population in Saudi Arabia, they face unique challenges and various forms of discrimination due to their faith. Politically, in spite of a resolution having been issued which grants Saudi women participation in public affairs, an objective analysis indicates that Shia women are not participating in this field. This is due to the existing reality of the Shia man, which is exemplified by: Lack of official representation in the cabinet and paucity of representation in the consultative assembly; disqualification from entering military, security, and diplomatic services; and suffering from a lack of equality of opportunity in administrative, management and political jobs. Clearly, Shia women suffer from discrimination based firstly on gender and secondly on belief. Inasmuch as the principle of lack of discrimination and the principle of equality constitute the basis of all treaties on fundamental human rights, all rights mentioned in the Minority Rights Declaration also applies to women. We advise the Saudi government to: