Gulf | Kuwait
Women make history by winning seats
Analysts believe support for parliament will be stronger than ever because of their long-awaited representation
- By Duraid Al Baik, Associate Editor
- Published: 23:48 May 17, 2009
Dubai: Kuwait's 2009 parliamentary elections presented the country with one of its special achievements in its recent history. Four highly qualified women, all of whom have earned their doctorates from the US, were the first batch of women to enter the House of Representatives since the inception of democracy in 1962.
Women, who were given their political rights to vote and run for the election in May 2005, failed to make it into parliament in the 2008 elections after Parliament endorsed the Emiri proposal to allow women to vote in the election amid opposition from the traditional religious blocs.
It has taken women three elections in order to get through the glass ceiling and enter the halls of parliament as eligible representatives of the people of Kuwait.
To the surprise of all those who opposed women's entry to parliament, Massouma Al Mubarak, a former minister, came first in the first constituency topping nine men with 14,274 votes, while Salwa Al Jassar won one of the 10 seats to represent the second constituency with 4,776 votes.
In the third constituency, Dr Aseel Al Awadi came second with 11,860 votes then Dr Rola Dashti came sixth with 7,666 votes.
No woman won from the fourth and fifth constituencies, making the four pioneering women proud to be the first to enter parliament in the history of Kuwait.
Dr Aseel almost won the 2008 elections but came 11th with 5,173, only 885 votes away from 10th position.
Women form 54.3 per cent of the 384,000 population eligible to vote.
According to the 2005 Election Law, the State of Kuwait is divided into five constituencies with each of them being represented by 10 members to the parliament.
There are no political parties in Kuwait, but the 210 candidates including 16 women - according to final figures released prior to the start of the election on Saturday, were divided into four major blocs - the two wings of Islamists (Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood), Tribal made up of five different groups representing each of Kuwait's major tribes, Liberals including the four women who won the election and Arab nationalists.
Maasouma thanked those who voted for her, saying she had won the confidence of the people of Kuwait after she won the confidence of the current and former Emirs of Kuwait in reference to her participation in the cabinet as the first women minister in 2005 to 2007.
Analysts believe that national and international support alike for parliament will be stronger than ever before because of the long-awaited representation of women in the House of Representatives and the government will think twice before allowing tension to escalate with MPs.
Observers believe that the majority of liberal and nationalists will give them an easy lead to implement electoral promises they gave in maintaining full cooperation with the government to take action to fight the implication of the current international economic crisis on the economy of the state.
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