Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Sabeeh speaks during the event

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Sabeeh said yesterday that Kuwaiti women are engaged in setting out development blueprints and decision-making. Representing His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Sabeeh, who doubles as Minister of State for Economic Affairs, made the remark in a keynote speech during a ceremony marking Kuwaiti women. She said His Highness the Amir's patronage of today's event reflected the political leadership's interest in the role of women in society and eagerness to empower them in decision-making circles.

Kuwaiti women have been empowered politically since the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah made a landmark decree in May 2005 giving women the right of candidacy and voting, she recalled.

The State of Kuwait has undertaken to fulfill the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including the fifth goal of gender equity, the minister pointed out. She cited recent statistics as showing that over 55 Kuwaiti women are holding leading state posts, ranging from assistant undersecretary to undersecretary, noting that this figures is forecast to rise in the foreseeable future.  Kuwaiti women working at ministries and state agencies make up 79.2 percent of the country's total labor force in the public sector, Al-Sabeeh added.

Meanwhile, Dr Suad Abdulwahab, Advisor at the Women's Affairs Committee, the organizer of the ceremony, thanked His Highness the Amir for sponsoring the event. She highly commended the scientific and practical successes and achievements made by Kuwaiti women. Several other speakers from Azerbaijan, UAE and Arab League stressed the significance of women's empowerment in various domains. - KUNA