‘Some deputies focus on personal matters’

KUWAIT CITY, July 29: Six public benefit societies have called for an end to tampering with the gains of Kuwaiti women, criticizing some in the National Assembly who are hostile to the march of Kuwaiti women and public freedoms, noting that some deputies focus on personal matters and ignore the great national issues, reports Al-Qabas daily.

The associations said in a statement, a copy of which has been received by the daily, “We are following with great concern what is happening under the dome of the National Assembly -- hostility to the march of Kuwaiti women, their gains and public freedoms, “We especially mention the draft law proposed by the government regarding the establishment of the General Elections Commission, in which Article 16 requires women to adhere to the rules and provisions. Article 35 of the constitution stipulates that “freedom of belief is absolute, and the state protects the freedom to perform religious rites in accordance with customs,” not to mention the ruling of the Constitutional Court in 2009, which affirmed the constitution’s rejection of these loose and contradictory theses. “For the essence of the constitution which was established in the light of the openness of Kuwaiti society, the strengthening of the role of women in it and respect for her choices.

In light of this, we demand a review of the draft law presented in general, with the abolition of Article 16 thereof.” Some members also proposed a proposal to prevent women from playing the role of judge under the pretext that Sharia prohibits women’s guardianship, while the position of the judiciary has moved in our time from the stage of individual guardianship to institutional jurisdiction, which denies the religious prohibition of women’s judicial position, so we demand the refusal to discuss this issue because it is an achievement. It has been achieved and there are many qualified women who are currently playing the role of judges, say sources.

The public benefit societies -- Women’s Social Cultural Association, Kuwait Alumni Association, Kuwaiti Social Association, Development Entrepreneurship Association, Kuwaiti Society for National Fraternity and the National Association for Family Safety – went on to say it is unfair for Kuwaiti women to remain in a state of constant struggle to obtain the simplest gains, and then they must wage another struggle to preserve what they have achieved.