VZCZCXRO5469
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #1575/01 3051429
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011429Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0218
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001575 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR NEA/ARP, WHITE HOUSE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PDEM KWMN KDEM KU
SUBJECT: FIRST LADY PROMOTES EDUCATION AND WOMEN'S 
EMPOWERMENT DURING KUWAIT VISIT 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary:  First Lady Laura Bush visited Kuwait 
October 24-25 as part of her regional trip to highlight 
education, breast cancer awareness, women's issues, and the 
Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).  At a diwaniyya 
(traditional discussion salon) hosted by Higher Education 
Undersecretary Dr. Rasha Al-Sabah, she shared experiences 
with women leaders, including a number of candidates from the 
2006 parliamentary and muncipal council elections, the first 
in which women were allowed to vote and run for office.  Mrs. 
Bush then attended a recruitment event for the USG-funded 
English Access Microscholarship program, where she heard from 
Kuwaiti student participants who learned about American 
culture and democratic values while improving their English. 
Mrs. Bush also met Amir Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah and 
visited U.S. troops stationed in Kuwait.  Mrs. Bush was 
accompanied throughout her program by Education Minister 
Nouriya Al-Sabih.  The trip received extensive positive media 
coverage.  End Summary. 
 
Engaging Women's Activists 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  First Lady Laura Bush visited Kuwait October 24-25 
as part of her regional trip to highlight education, breast 
cancer awareness, women's issues, and the Middle East 
Partnership Initiative (MEPI).  She began her Kuwait program 
with an event at the diwaniyya of Higher Education 
Undersecretary Dr. Rasha Al-Sabah.  Dr. Rasha, the first 
person in Kuwait to open a mixed-gender diwaniyya, hosted 17 
prominent women activists in the political and social arenas, 
including Minister of Education Nouriya al-Sabih, former 
Minister of Health Ma'souma al-Mubarak (the first female 
minister in Kuwait), four candidates from municipal and 
parliamentary elections in 2006, as well as professors, 
government officials, activists, and journalists. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The event started with a 15-minute documentary 
film by Kuwaiti Director and Producer Walid Al-Awadhi 
chronicling the lives of three women candidates in the 2006 
elections, the first in which women were allowed to vote and 
run for Parliament.  Dr. Rasha began the discussion by asking 
the former candidates about their experiences and lessons 
learned from the last elections.  Some women, especially the 
former candidates, suggested that Kuwait should institute a 
quota to ensure women's election to Parliament.  They argued 
that it would be hard for a woman to win an election without 
a quota because in Kuwaiti culture women are rarely in 
leadership positions.  They admitted, however, that quotas do 
not have much support in Parliament and would be very 
difficult to pass.  Former candidate Aisha Al-Reshaid 
suggested that when political parties eventually get 
recognition in Kuwait, they should be required to have a set 
percentage of women members in order to qualify.  (Note: 
Currently political parties are not recognized in Kuwait, so 
candidates run on individual agendas and platforms.  End 
Note.)  Membership quota for women in political parties would 
be an easier sell than a quota in Parliament, she argued. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Arab Open University Professor Dr. Nada Al-Mutawa 
contended that Kuwaiti perceptions and values have to be 
changed before women can get elected to Parliament.  She said 
Kuwaitis, even Kuwaiti women, are not ready to vote for a 
woman.  The prevailing perception in society is that women 
are not as qualified as men to govern.  Al-Mutawa said more 
needs to be done in schools and colleges to change this 
perception.  Speaking on next steps leading up to the 
election, former Minister Ma'souma Al-Mubarak said that women 
have to be more organized, noting that some women candidates 
missed the deadlines and were disqualified from running in 
the last elections.  Women candidates also must court the 
media in a more constructive manner.  Some other women added 
that female candidates should look to male candidates and 
learn from them how to run a campaign.  Former candidate 
Laila Al-Rashed said women candidates need to work with the 
Kuwaiti populace and Kuwaiti youth to gain popular support. 
To close the session, Mrs. Bush shared her experiences on the 
campaign trail and offered advice to the women on future 
campaigns. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Following Mrs. Bush's departure, the women 
continued the discussion over lunch.  Dr. Kafia Ramadan, the 
host of "Cross Roads," a popular television program on 
women's and children's issues, suggested that they should 
continue this discussion on her television program.  The 
women plan on organizing a televised roundtable on politics 
and women on Dr. Kafia's program in the next few weeks. 
 
Fostering American Values Through Education 
------------------------------------------- 
 
KUWAIT 00001575  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6.  (U)  Mrs. Bush then joined Education Minister Al-Sabih at 
a recruitment event for the USG-funded English Access 
Microscholarship program at a Ministry of Education training 
facility.  This State Department program seeks to teach the 
English language and American values to less-advantaged 
Kuwaitis through experiential learning.  Three students 
shared their experiences in the program with a crowded hall 
of journalists and Kuwaiti English teachers.  The students 
talked about their participation in the program in Kuwait as 
well as in summer camps in the United States, where they met 
students from other countries, improved their English, and 
learned about American-style participatory democracy. 
 
¶7.  (U)  In addition to providing a forum for the First Lady 
to interact with Kuwait youth, another purpose of the event 
was to expose Kuwaiti English teachers to the English Access 
Microscholarship program so they could identify students who 
would be good candidates to participate in the future.  Mrs. 
Bush's presence and engagement provided a powerful boost to 
this important program for spreading democratic values, 
American culture, and English language skills. 
 
Amir Meeting 
------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Mrs. Bush paid a visit to Amir Shaykh Sabah 
Al-Ahmad Al Sabah, who had assembled the top leadership of 
the country for the occasion, including the Crown Prince, 
Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Minister of Amiri Diwan 
Affairs.  Mrs. Bush briefed the Amir on her visit in the 
region as well as the activities she had undertaken in 
Kuwait.  The Amir expressed openness to further partnership 
with the U.S. on education and health issues. 
 
Rallying the Troops 
------------------- 
 
¶9.  (U)  On October 25, Mrs. Bush went to Ali Al-Salem Air 
Force base to spend time with many of the U.S. military 
personnel stationed in Kuwait or transiting Kuwait to or from 
Iraq.  She thanked them for their service and urged them to 
continue to represent their country with honor.  She also 
noted the continuing partnership of Kuwait and the U.S., 
pointing out that Ali Al-Salem is a Kuwaiti base and is the 
first place where Kuwaiti and U.S. flags flew together. 
 
Media 
----- 
 
¶10.  (U)  Mrs. Bush's trip received extensive coverage by the 
local and international media.  The microscholarship event 
and troop visit were open to the press.  The women's event 
and a courtesy call to Amir Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah 
were closed to the press, but photo sprays of the events 
featured prominently in the Arabic and English media.  The 
coverage was positive; it portrayed the First Lady -- and the 
United States -- as interested in issues of human development. 
 
********************************************* * 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s 
 
Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
********************************************* * 
MISENHEIMER