Women stood side by side with men defending Kuwait during Iraqi invasion

KUWAIT: A general view of Kuwait City taken from the top of Al-Hamra Tower. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: The State of Kuwait has given female citizen all their rights in voting and electing after a long journey in order to recognize their constitutional and political right. Kuwaiti women were able to prove, through a history full of achievements, their leading and active role in the development process witnessed by the country in various social, economic, political and other fields. They were able to achieve this success due to several factors, including the development of the legislative and social system which allowed many Kuwaiti talents to occupy the highest positions locally and regionally.

Kuwaiti women were not only concerned with their political rights but exceeded this to spread awareness economically, culturally and socially. A good example of this was during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and her resistance to the occupation when she stood side by side with the Kuwaiti men in defending their country. The competence of Kuwaiti women and their educational and cultural levels enabled them to win many leadership positions. They have become ministers, undersecretaries, university rectors, ambassadors and directors of large regional and international economic companies and were popularly elected to the National Assembly.

On May 16, 2005, the National Assembly approved a bill submitted by the government to amend the text of article 1 of the election law to allow women to exercise their right to vote and run for election. In June 2005, the cabinet announced the selection of Engineer Fatima Saud Al-Sabah and Engineer Fawzia Mohammed Al-Bahr as members of the Municipal Council, and selected Dr Masouma Al-Mubarak to be as the Minister of Planning and State Secretary for Administrative Development. In April 2006, Kuwaiti women, exercised for the first time, their political right to vote and run for election when Engineer Janan Boshehri announced her candidacy in the supplementary elections to the Municipal Council.

In 2008, a total of 27 women applied for official candidacy for the 2008 parliamentary elections, but none of them were able to win. However, this actual practice gained her more experience in winning the council elections in 2009 when four candidates won and they were Dr Masouma Al-Mubarak, Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi, Dr Rola Dashti, and Dr Salwa Al-Jassar.

Kuwaiti women continued to participate in the political process in the country, since the presence of women in the formation of the ministry was necessary. Dr Masouma Al-Mubarak was appointed as Minister of Transportation in 2006, and in March 2007 she became Health Minister, while Nouriya Al-Sabeeh was chosen as Minister of Education and Higher Education. In 2008, Dr Moudhi Al-Hamoud was appointed as Minister of State for Housing Affairs and Minister of Development Affairs, while Nouriya Al-Sabeeh was re-appointed as Minister of Education and Higher Education. Both held office in in 2009. In May 2011, Dr Amani Bouresli was appointed Minister of Commerce and Industry, and then appointed, in addition to her position, as State minister of Planning and Development. In July 2012, Dr Rola Dashti was selected as Minister of Planning and Development and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, while Dr Thikra Al-Rasheedi was appointed as Minister of Social Affairs and Labor in November 2012. In August 2013, Hind Barak Al-Sabeeh was appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Planning and Development, and held office until 2016.In December 2017, Dr Jenan Boushehri joined the new ministerial reshuffle to become the Minister of Housing and Minister of State for Services, along with Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh. Kuwaiti women continued their march to success, leaving their mark and determination in various fields to prove to their society and the world, that women are already half the society that cannot be dispensed with or marginalized. - KUNA