Women's rights in Kuwait
Encyclopedia
Women in Kuwait
are considered to be among the most emancipated women in the Gulf region
. Women in Kuwait can travel, drive, and work without their fathers' or husbands' consent and they even hold some senior government positions. Women in Kuwait are able to work freely and can achieve positions of power and influence.
Women in Kuwait gained the right to vote
and stand in parliamentary and local elections in May 2005. And in October 2009 Kuwait's constitutional court ruled that women were able to gain their own passports, without the consent of their husbands.
In 2005, the Emir of Kuwait appointed the first Kuwaiti woman to be the Minister of Planning and the Minister of State for Administrative Development. In efforts to take the Kuwaiti woman's political role to a higher step, in the next government reshuffle His Highness approved three women to become ministers. Furthermore, in the 2009 parliament elections, four women were elected as members of parliament.
Kuwaiti women are also allowed to become police officers, royal guards, special forces officers, and immigration officers.
Women in Kuwait equally to men, are entitled to a job, from the Kuwaiti government's office of Service Bureau of employment.
Despite this, women in Kuwait still face some discriminatory practices, experiencing legal and social discrimination. In the family courts (i.e. those controlled by religious bodies), one man's testimony is sometimes given the same weight as that of two women; however, in the civil, criminal, and administrative courts, the testimony of women and men is considered equally.
Inheritance is governed by Islamic law, which differs according to the branch of Islam. In the absence of a direct male heir, Shi'a women may inherit all property, while Sunni women inherit only a portion, with the balance divided among brothers, uncles, and male cousins of the deceased.
As with all GCC countries, Kuwaiti women are not permitted to transmit their citizenship to foreign spouses, nor to their descendants unless the father is also a Kuwaiti citizen. However, they are allowed to 'sponsor' their spouses and children.
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
are considered to be among the most emancipated women in the Gulf region
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. Women in Kuwait can travel, drive, and work without their fathers' or husbands' consent and they even hold some senior government positions. Women in Kuwait are able to work freely and can achieve positions of power and influence.
Women in Kuwait gained the right to vote
Kuwaiti female suffrage
On May 17, 2005, the Kuwaiti parliament granted female suffrage. The bill, which passed with 35 votes for and 23 against, allowed women to vote for the first time and run in parliamentary and local elections....
and stand in parliamentary and local elections in May 2005. And in October 2009 Kuwait's constitutional court ruled that women were able to gain their own passports, without the consent of their husbands.
In 2005, the Emir of Kuwait appointed the first Kuwaiti woman to be the Minister of Planning and the Minister of State for Administrative Development. In efforts to take the Kuwaiti woman's political role to a higher step, in the next government reshuffle His Highness approved three women to become ministers. Furthermore, in the 2009 parliament elections, four women were elected as members of parliament.
Kuwaiti women are also allowed to become police officers, royal guards, special forces officers, and immigration officers.
Women in Kuwait equally to men, are entitled to a job, from the Kuwaiti government's office of Service Bureau of employment.
Despite this, women in Kuwait still face some discriminatory practices, experiencing legal and social discrimination. In the family courts (i.e. those controlled by religious bodies), one man's testimony is sometimes given the same weight as that of two women; however, in the civil, criminal, and administrative courts, the testimony of women and men is considered equally.
Inheritance is governed by Islamic law, which differs according to the branch of Islam. In the absence of a direct male heir, Shi'a women may inherit all property, while Sunni women inherit only a portion, with the balance divided among brothers, uncles, and male cousins of the deceased.
As with all GCC countries, Kuwaiti women are not permitted to transmit their citizenship to foreign spouses, nor to their descendants unless the father is also a Kuwaiti citizen. However, they are allowed to 'sponsor' their spouses and children.