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Women Get Voting Rights In Kuwait
Chris Crum
Staff Writer
2005-05-16
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Women in Kuwait have now been given the right to vote now that the country's parliament has passed a law allowing them to do so. They can also now run in elections.
"We finally passed the law for women's right to vote and run for office," said Mohammed Jassem al-Sager, a member of parliament. "This is one of the greatest achievements of all time in the Kuwaiti political arena."
35 members voted in favor of the new law while 23 against voted against it. The next elections for Kuwait's parliament will take place in two years, and will be the first opportunity for women to run. As Reuters points out:
The United States has been pressing its allies in the Middle East to bring in political reform, saying a lack of freedom and democracy had fostered Islamic militancy. The Kuwait government wanted the bill passed before a likely trip by the prime minister to Washington next month.
A similar decree for women's political rights issued by Emir Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah was narrowly defeated in 1999 by Islamist and conservative lawmakers who wield enormous influence in the assembly.
"This is a celebration for democracy even though it is 45 years late," Jassim al-Gitami, a former MP and head of the Kuwaiti Human Rights Association said.
Before the new law was passed, only men who were 21 years old and not members of the police or military had the right to vote. The number of eligible voters will now climb nearly 200,000.
About the Author:
Chris Crum is a staff writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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