1504: Kuwait, 17/05/2008, Kuwaiti National Assembly 2008

Kuwait City, Asharq Al-Awsat—Kuwaitis went to the polls this week to elect their third parliament in 17 months. Despite having the oldest and most powerful parliament in the Arab Gulf, Kuwait has a turbulent political scene: no parliament has served its full term since 2003.

Kuwait's education minister took the oath of office, despite the interruptions from Muslim fundamentalist lawmakers. Nouria al-Sbeih became the country's second female member of Cabinet.

The presence of women in decision-making bodies in the Arab world is increasing. Fatema Murad Al-Kandari highlighted the efforts of the government and non-government organizations to empower the Kuwaiti women and promote their roles in the social life.

The Kuwaiti Parliament unanimously passed a law earlier this week to restrict women's rights by restricting the hours that women are allowed to work. Women will be banned from working between 8:00 pm and 7:00 am with an exception only for women working in the medical profession.

Iraqi Kurdistan's parliament is challenging social and religious tradition by considering legislation that would officially ban polygamy in this northern region, in a move that has divided some Kurdish political leaders and women's groups.

Health minister Maasuma Al Mubarak, Kuwait's first female cabinet member, has resigned following a deadly hospital fire, preempting plans by Islamist MPs to call her to account in parliament.

Hundreds of female supporters applauded and ululated from the galleries as parliament voted 27-19, with two abstentions, against the impeachment of Education Minister Nouria al-Subeih, a pioneer in this small oil-rich Gulf state where women were only allowed to participate in political life in 20

None of 27 female candidates who contested the previous general elections in June 2006 was successful, but a number did make an unexpectedly strong showing despite having little time to prepare for the polls.

Members of the Kuwaiti Parliament 's Sharia Issues Commission have backed a request by the country's two female ministers to appear in Parliament without the Islamic veil, Kuwaiti daily Al-Seyassah reports.

Women in the conservative Gulf state of Kuwait aim to make it third time lucky as they contest seats in parliament after two failed attempts in legislative elections.

Kuwaiti satellite channels have proven quite effective in advertising candidates' campaigns and agendas to a large segment of the Kuwaiti society, but this is at expense of turn-up at the electoral rallies.

Zikra Al-Rasheedi, a fourth constituency candidate inaugurated her campaign headquarters on Monday evening. She places top priority to the cause of women's rights.

Amongst the explicit and subtle contradictions of a social fabric which remains conservative and extremely cautious to maintain the separation of the sexes, women in Kuwait have won their latest battle in the war for professional equality: the first 16 female cadets from the Saad Abdullah Police

As May 16 draws near, hopes seems to be presiding the views of female voters. Even after the issuance of the recent fatwa forbidding voting for women, the supporters of the female a great majority still sees that change is only possible if women reach the Parliament.

Academics agreed that the relative drop in performance of the former all-male parliament was likely to boost the chances of female candidates getting elected, found a study conducted by KUNA.Kuwait University's political science professor Dr.

Former MP and third district candidate Adel Al-Sarawi held a symposium for women at his diwaniya in Keifan on Sunday evening. He was a member of the parliament in 2003, 2006 and 2008.

A standing parliamentary seats' quota system to ensure a significant representation for women in parliament is a controversial issue in Kuwait, with critics saying female activists must earn the seats instead of occupying them without effort.

Kuwait votes in a parliamentary election on Saturday, two months after the ruler of the world's fourth largest oil exporter dissolved the Islamist-dominated parliament to end a long-running dispute with the government.

Two lecturers at Kuwait University agreed that women were the ones who mostly benefitted from media coverage of parliamentary campaigns, because it was an easy option for those who found it difficult to attend rallies.

“We should put Kuwait on top of our priorities as it is our only protection and future,” MP-elect Maasouma Al-Mubarak said Tuesday when the four female MPs-elect celebrated their historic victory at the Women Cultural & Social Society in Khaldiya.

Newly elected MP, former minister Dr. Masouma Al-Mubarak, has announced that she will be running for the Deputy Speaker's position in parliament, inspired by the rate of change that the results of the elections have shown.

AlـSabah received the four female MPs, who recently won in the parliamentary elections, at the Seif Palace on May 19, 2009.

MP-elect Jassem Al-Khorafi said he was surprised when only four women won the elections as they constitute more than half of the total number of eligible voters, reports Awan daily.

Women have won four seats in Kuwait's parliament, the first to do so in the Gulf Arab state's history, in a blow to Islamists who have long dominated the assembly.

Four Kuwaitis have become the first women elected to their nation's parliament, a resounding victory in a conservative Persian Gulf country where the legislature has been men-only for almost half a century.

Since winning their political rights in 2005, Kuwaiti women have shown great advances in many walks of life, not only voting but also running for parliamentary seats.

"Of course I'm going to vote for women - and I really hope that women can make it this time," said Bahja with a large smile on her face.

Around 384,000 voters are expected to head to polling stations to select 50 members of Parliament tomorrow. Voters are to select from around 211 candidates vying for parliamentary seats.

Kuwaiti voters head to the polls on 16 May in an early general election triggered by the cabinet's resignation following a row with parliament.This is the third early election in less than three years and the third in which women are allowed to vote and stand for parliament.

Female MPs Maasouma Al-Mubarak and Aseel Al-Awadhi called for the formation of a homogenous and capable government that can submit its program of action and defend it.

AMMAN: Nancy Bakir, the Jordanian Minister of Public Sector Reform, said yesterday that the Arab World should follow the example of Kuwait and study the Gulf state's democratic accomplishments and parliamentary elections.

Why did voters turn a blind eye to the fatwas that were issued shortly before the elections that outlawed and sought to thwart the election of women based on the pretext that this goes against Sharia and that a woman cannot be part of public office and this includes having a seat in parliament, a

Female MPs Maasouma Al-Mubarak and Aseel Al-Awadhi called for the formation of a homogenous and capable government that can submit its program of action and defend it.