To Subscribers, Following is a report by Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), issued as part of the Women’s Affairs bulletin of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA).
Kuwait, Kuwaiti women have been empowered in various fields, armed with education and qualifications based on the abundant share of rights they enjoy, by the Kuwaiti Constitution.
Kuwait has taken many decisions to enhance the status of women locally and internationally and has supported many draft laws in conferences and meetings in the United Nations.
May 16, 2005 marked a historical milestone in the Kuwaiti democratic process and a turning point in the lives of Kuwaiti women as they gained their political rights in candidacy and election.
On the aforementioned day, the Kuwaiti National Assembly officially approved women’s political rights as a culmination of an initiative launched in 1999 by late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as he believed that Kuwaiti women are an essential and integral part of society.
The National Assembl
y elections in 2006 witnessed the first participation of Kuwaiti women in candidacy and election, while 2008 elections witnessed 27 women applying for candidacy.
In 2009, Kuwaiti women were able to mark a historic achievement as four won seats in the Kuwaiti National Assembly out of 17 candidates; Dr. Masouma Al-Mubarak, Dr. Aseel Al-Awadhi, Dr. Rola Dashti and Dr. Salwa Al-Jassar.
Kuwait celebrates Kuwaiti Women’s Day on May 16 every year as an affirmation and demonstration of their positive and pioneering role and its continuous giving in building the society.
Kuwait has recently witnessed a new achievement added to the credit of Kuwaiti women with Dr. Reem Al-Shammari winning the 2024 Woman of Cybersecurity Award for the Arab World.
This was the first regional honor of its kind at the (GISEC) global conference to honor distinguished women at the level of the Arab world.
On leadership, the percentage of women’s representation in ministerial positions reached 28% in the public sector, while the number o
f women doubled in the police, diplomatic, oil, and judicial sectors as in 2023.
Kuwaiti women also recorded a presence in the economic sector, where their percentage of leadership and supervisory positions in the Central Bank of Kuwait reached 41%.
On May 11, 2024, an Amiri decree was issued to form the new cabinet which included two women; Minister of Public Works, Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan and Minister of Social Affairs, Family affairs and Childhood, Minister of State for youth Affairs Dr. Amthal Al-Huwailah.
Source: Qatar News Agency