The appointment of a woman to Saudi Arabia’s influential council of ministers is a “first step” for women’s rights in the country, but it’s unclear if she will have any real power, an outspoken advocate said Sunday.

King Abdullah on Saturday appointed Norah al-Faiz to serve as the newly created deputy minister for women’s education as part of a major Cabinet reshuffling. It is the first time a woman has been appointed to the council.

“I’m very proud to be nominated and selected for such a prestigious position,” al-Faiz said. “I hope that other ladies, females, will follow in the future.”

She noted that Saudi women still do not have the right to drive and are recognized under Saudi law as the property of men.

Al-Maeena said that King Abdullah has “always been on the side of women and this stems from his pure and ideal Islamic values, which gives rights to women. …”

“But unfortunately,” he said. “Over the past few decades, there had been some, you know, backrolling of women’s participation.”

Now this is something to celebrate right?  IMO, NO!  This is just a move to silence all their critics in the West.  Women in Saudi Arabia will be NO better off now than they were last week.

This is a smoke screen!  Saudi Arabia has taken a lot of criticism recently for its policies towards women.

Now if they want me to believe that women are equal, then let them drive, give them equal rights,  maybe when they accomplish that the world will stop being so critical of their policies toward women and they can move into the 21st century with most of us.