Kuwait Cabinet backs bill to give women the vote

17 May 2004
The Kuwaiti Cabinet backed a bill on 16 May to grant Kuwaiti women full political rights, although the bill is set to clash with views held by Islamist MPs.

The bill gives women the right to vote and stand for election to parliament, and must now be approved by the Emir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah before it is passed to the parliament for final approval. The cabinet said the decision had been taken because of the 'vital role being played by Kuwaiti women in the building and development of society, and for enormous sacrifices they made'. Women in Kuwait have been campaigning for the vote for decades.

In 1999, a similar bill was narrowly defeated by parliament under pressure from Islamist MPs and tribal leaders. The bill is likely to face opposition from the same groups, who are traditionally against women's rights.

The first article of the current election law limits voting rights and candidacy for public office to male citizens over 21 years. This contradicts the Kuwaiti constitution, which stipulates gender equality.

There has been a recent stand-off between the 15-member Islamic bloc in Parliament over the staging of a public concert by stars of a Lebanese television programme. Islamist MPs are pressuring the government to impose tougher regulations on concerts, including banning female singers from performing for a male audience.

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