Gulf | Kuwait
Kuwaiti women in first-ever win of four parliamentary seats
Official results announced on state television show that Kuwaiti women have won in parliamentary elections for the first time, garnering four seats.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:27 May 17, 2009
- Image Credit: AP
- Winning parliamentarian candidate Aseel Al Awadhi celebrates her victory with supporters at her campaign head quarters in Surra, Kuwait City.
Kuwait City: Official results announced on state television show that Kuwaiti women have won in parliamentary elections for the first time, garnering four seats.
The victory is resounding Kuwait, where parliaments have been men-only for almost five decades.
Women were granted political rights in 2005, but they failed to make any gains in two previous elections.
Official results from Saturday's vote were read out by judges on state-owned TV on Sunday.
Massouma Al Mubarak, the country's first female Cabinet minister, was nameed one of the four new female lawmakers.
The other winners are liberal Aseel Al Awadhi, women's rights activist Rola Dashti, and independent university teacher Salwa Al Jassar.
The election results also showed Islamists losing ground. They won 16 seats on Saturday, down from the 24 seats they held in the previous house.
Sixteen women were among the 210 candidates who ran for the parliament's 50 seats.
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