| Author |
Message |
Hitchhiker
Rear Admiral
Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: Ontario, Canada
|
 Mon May 16, 2005 8:01 pm Kuwait grants political rights to its women |
|
| New York Times wrote: | Kuwait Grants Political Rights to Its Women
By HASSAN M. FATTAH
Published: May 17, 2005
CAIRO, May 16 - Kuwait's Parliament granted full political rights to women on Monday, making way for them to vote in and contest parliamentary and local elections for the first time in the country's history. The surprise amendment to Kuwait's election law ends a decades-long struggle by women's rights campaigners for full suffrage, and promises to redefine the city-state's political landscape.
Kuwaiti women applauded after Parliament passed a law granting women the right to vote and contest elections for the first time in the country's history.
"It has been 20 years of work, but at last we got our rights," said Lulua al-Mulla, general secretary of Kuwait's Social Cultural Women's Society, a women's advocacy group. "It is about time."
Parliament met Monday to discuss legislation introduced two weeks ago allowing women to run in city council elections. But in a surprise move, members of the cabinet opened the session by proposing a complete amendment of the country's election law, which had permitted only men to take part in the country's powerful Parliament.
The government also invoked a rarely used "order for urgency" to push through the legislation in one session, despite heated debate by Islamist members.
By Monday evening, legislators had passed an amendment that removes the word "men" from Article 1 of the elections law, with 35 voting in favor and 23 against. But Islamist legislators, apparently trying to appease their conservative voting base, included a requirement that "females abide by Islamic law." The implications of that clause were not immediately clear, though women's advocates were saying it might just mean separate polling places for men and women.
The State Department spokesman, Richard A. Boucher, welcomed the new legislation, calling it "an important step forward for the women of Kuwait and for the nation as a whole."
The vote climaxed an extraordinary turn of events, just two weeks after the Parliament had thwarted a measure allowing women to take part in city council elections.
The prime minister, Sheik Sabah al-Jaber al-Sabah, a member of Kuwait's ruling family, has been under growing pressure to allow women's suffrage and is believed to have forced the measure through ahead of a planned trip to Washington. He is widely expected to appoint a woman as minister of health in coming weeks.
Although women can now stand in all elections, the legislation comes too late for them to contest the council elections next month. The soonest they will be able to stand for any elections is 2007, when parliamentary elections are scheduled. |
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/17/international/middleeast/17kuwait.html
This is cool. 
|
|
|
Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
|
| Mon May 16, 2005 8:05 pm |
|
At last! Good news!
-------signature-------
"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
|
|
|
webtaz99
Commodore
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Posts: 1229
Location: The Other Side
|
| Mon May 16, 2005 8:42 pm |
|
I wonder if they can own property? Run businesses?
Even in America women could not own property (unless deeded) or own a business even after they won thier sufferance (right to vote).
-------signature-------
"History is made at night! Character is who you are in the dark." (Lord John Whorfin)
|
|
|
Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
|
| Mon May 16, 2005 8:43 pm |
|
^Unlike in Ancient Egypt, which is WEIRD.
-------signature-------
"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
|
|
|
zero
Rear Admiral
Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 4566
Location: Texas
|
| Tue May 17, 2005 2:25 pm |
|
I'm happy to hear this.
|
|
|
Captain Dappet
Forum Revolutionist
Joined: 06 Feb 2002
Posts: 16756
Location: On my supersonic rocket ship.
|
| Tue May 17, 2005 2:30 pm |
|
Splendid!  One step towards total equality between the genders.
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
Star Trek �, in all its various forms, are trademarks & copyrights of Paramount Pictures
This site has no official connection with Star Trek or Paramount Pictures
Site content/Site design elements owned by Morphy and is meant to only be an archive/Tribute to STV.com
|
Search
FAQ
Log in
