there has been a growing recognition of the importance of women s participation in politics the united arab emirates parliament became in the first arab country to appoint a woman as speaker of parliament and women have obtained positions in the top ranks of political parties in algeria and palestine women s dynamic participation in the protests that swept through the region beginning in late has also been widely noted as a testimony of womens willingness to join in civic and political engagements this activism may be a precursor to more women assuming political roles in the arab region in the future most recently women have been allowed to stand for municipal elections in oman since royal decree no