Kuwait ‘in final stages’ of enlisting women in army

Cairo: Efforts to integrate women into the Kuwaiti army have entered their “final stages”, according to a senior military commander.

Kuwaiti army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Sabah Jaber Al Ahmad, met this week with military commanders to discuss efforts to integrate women into the military.

The meeting looked into the legal and administrative aspects associated with the inclusion of women in various ranks in the army as well as the importance of providing a suitable work environment to enable women to perform their duties efficiently.

“This step comes within the framework of the modernisation and development witnessed by the Kuwaiti army,” Maj. Gen. Sabah was quoted by the army as saying. He hailed the “qualitative” contributions that Kuwaiti women can make in various military sectors. “The project is in its final stages in preparation for its implementation on the ground,” the official added.

In 2021, Kuwait’s then defence minister Hamad Jaber Al Sabah issued a decree allowing Kuwaiti women to join the Kuwaiti military for the first time in the country’s history.

The decree limited women’s employment to civilian jobs, and stipulated that they would work in medical and military support services.