This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 002093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ARPI AND NEA/PI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2015 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KWMN KDEM PREL KMPI KU WOMEN POLITICAL RIGHTS
SUBJECT: "MABROUK:" KUWAITI WOMEN GAIN POLITICAL RIGHTS YET 
PONDER THEIR PARTICIPATION 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 2064 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 2041 (NOTAL) 
     ¶C. KUWAIT 1836 (NOTAL) 
     ¶D. KUWAIT 1016 (NOTAL) 
     ¶E. KUWAIT 944 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: DCM Matthew Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: The Government resuscitated a seemingly 
moribund campaign for women's political rights May 16 
culminating in the passage of an amendment granting women 
full suffrage. On the sixth anniversary to the day that the 
Amir attempted to grant Kuwaiti women their voting rights in 
1999, a move that failed later that year in a parliamentary 
vote, women won the right to cast their ballots and stand for 
election at the national level in a vote of 35-23 in the 
National Assembly. The drawn-out and chaotic legislative 
proceedings saw the passage of a civil servant salary 
increase before Parliamentarians considered various 
Islamist-proposed changes to the voting rights amendment. 
Despite gaining the right to vote, many Kuwaiti women remain 
apathetic, some outright hostile, toward political 
participation, as evidenced by an informal Embassy poll. 
Women's rights activists remain optimistic about the 
long-term implications for Kuwaiti women and the political 
system. End summary. 
 
Recapping the Historic Day's Events 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) A small pro-rights rally opposite the National 
Assembly kicked off the May 16 events, culminating in Kuwaiti 
women receiving full political rights. Approximately 50 
university students and activists gathered prior to the 
beginning of the legislative day to cheer for the passage of 
women's voting rights; a follow-up vote on women's 
municipal-level rights was scheduled on the day's 
parliamentary agenda (ref C). They held banners of "our 
political rights now" and "it's about time." Ardent rights 
proponent MP Mohammed Al-Sagr made a brief appearance. The 
group entered the Parliament and took seats in the observers' 
gallery before proceedings began at 9:30 am. 
 
¶3. (U) Within ten minutes of the opening gavel, the 
Government introduced a motion to amend Article 35 of the 
electoral law to provide Kuwaiti women full political rights 
(ref B) and require the Interior and Defense Committee, which 
had been reviewing the amendment since its original March 7 
introduction (ref E), to provide the full Assembly its report 
in one hour. The measure passed 37-21 altering the day's 
legislative docket. The motion also stipulated that women's 
suffrage be addressed after a vote on a salary increase for 
government workers (ref A). A second motion introduced by a 
group of MPs passed 29-28, requiring the Committee to include 
in its report recommendations on lowering the voting age to 
18 and permitting military and security personnel to vote. 
 
¶4. (U) Under pressure from MPs, the GOK agreed to include a 
pension increase for retirees, which will immediately cost 
the Government KD 30 million ($104 million), a figure 
announced by Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber 
Al-Sabah during the debate. The bill passed by a hand vote 
with 31 in favor. (Comment: Popular belief is that the 
approval of these increases was the GOK's necessary political 
concession to secure the votes of MPs who previously opposed 
women's suffrage. Five MPs, including one Islamist and two 
Shi'as, who abstained or opposed the May 2 vote for women's 
municipal-level rights voted May 16 in favor of full rights. 
The ultimate vote on full political rights of 35-23 exceeded 
earlier predictions of a maximum of 33 in favor. End comment.) 
 
¶5. (U) At 1pm the five-member Committee submitted its report 
backing women's voting rights but tabling moves to lower the 
voting age and allow security personnel to vote. Independent 
MP Mussallam Al-Barrak, enraged by the report, launched into 
a tirade about the Committee's unfair result. His yelling 
continued throughout a roll call vote on a motion to proceed 
with the amendment to grant women's suffrage, which passed. 
Debate was limited to four speakers on each side of the 
argument, with one opponent warning that rights' supporters 
would burn on Judgement Day. Before the Parliament could vote 
on the amendment, a group of Islamists, led by MP Waleed 
Al-Tabtabaei, introduced three changes to the amendment. 
Motions to lower men's voting age to 20 and reducing the time 
naturalized citizens have to wait to vote from 20 to 15 years 
both failed. A rider requiring women to abide by Islamic 
Shari'a law when engaging in political activities passed 
33-24. (Note: The exact stipulations tied to the Shari'a 
requirement remain unclear. End note.) 
 
Informal Poll Indicates Apathy Remains 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) With the passage of the voting rights amendment, women 
will now constitute 61% of eligible Kuwaiti voters while the 
overall electorate will more than double to 372,000, 
representing 39% of the citizen population. (ref D). But will 
the women actually vote? FSN Political Assistant surveyed 
Kuwaiti women over 21 in two diverse locations: upscale, 
seaside Marina Mall in Salmiya and popular cooperative 
supermarket in Shamiya, a lower-class neighborhood. In this 
informal May 17 poll, 58% of the 36 questioned at Marina Mall 
intended to cast ballots in the 2007 parliamentary elections 
while 31% rejected the idea. Another 11% were undecided, half 
of whom would vote only if paid. The results from the more 
popular Shamiya district indicate only 21% of the 28 
participants had plans to vote while the remaining 79% said 
they would not go to the polls. 
 
¶7. (U) Many women at Marina Mall support political 
participation and commented that voting "will create the 
balance in the community" and "will benefit us politically, 
economically, socially, every way." Another said, "this is 
what I call the balance between a man and a woman. I hate 
when men look at us as their assistants and not as people." 
On the other side, many questioned the importance of voting: 
"We don't care whether we have the right or not. We can do 
all what we want now." Another said, "What will I gain? I 
already have everything." At the cooperative market, most 
respondents opposed the idea of voting and echoed the 
sentiments of one Kuwaiti: "Women should be at home. Who will 
raise the children, the maids?" Some were far more 
pessimistic. "Women hate women. How can they support each 
other?" The most catastrophic outlook: "This is the end of 
the world." 
 
¶8. (C) Comment: Conventional wisdom holds that the Islamists 
will benefit the most from women voting because women tend to 
be more conservative than men. The unscientific poll reveals 
that the majority of women from the poorer, more conservative 
area do not value the right to vote and remain apathetic. The 
women's current stance obligates the Islamists to enlist 
their male supporters to mobilize their wives who represent 
an untapped and potentially large political base. A GOK- or 
proposed Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)-sponsored 
education campaign could be key to allowing women to make 
their own political decisions. End comment. 
 
Prominent Women's Reactions 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Dr. Badria Al-Awadi, activist and lawyer, expected the 
Government to introduce the motion for full political rights 
after women's activists met with the PM who hinted that this 
would be the GOK course of action. She felt that 
dissatisfaction among international public opinion weighed on 
the GOK, providing a motivating factor behind the GOK's May 
16 actions. At this point, she has no political aspirations 
of her own aside from assuming the role of spreading 
awareness among women. In her words, Kuwaiti women have now 
become full citizens. May Al-Hajjaj, a librarian at Kuwait 
University, also emphasized the importance of educating 
women, many of whom would be influenced by male relatives. 
Civics, she added, is not part of the school curriculum; 
therefore, many Kuwaitis do not understand their rights and 
responsibilities as citizens. 
 
¶10. (C) Activist Shaykha Al-Nisif predicted that MPs will 
have to change their focus from a service-oriented focus to 
legislating for the good of the nation. In her opinion, MPs 
currently are preoccupied with serving the interests of 
individuals, male individuals. Now MPs will have to 
incorporate all citizens' concerns when campaigning and 
legislating. Al-Nisif responded to press reports that the 
Government may name a woman as Minister of Health. According 
to her, the PM said after the May 16 vote that there is 
nothing stopping the GOK from appointing women to executive 
positions. 
 
¶11. (C) Dr. Haila Al-Mkaimi of the Kuwait University 
Political Science Department emphasized the long-term 
benefits of women's suffrage. While Islamists may benefit 
with new political support from women, granting women 
political rights legitimizes the legislative institution. To 
this point, she added, the National Assembly has been 
illegal, constitutionally-speaking, because women have been 
deprived of suffrage. 
 
¶12. (U) Media reports quote leading activist Dr. Rola Dashti, 
who was unavailable for comment today, as saying she intends 
to run for Parliament in 2007. 
 
¶13. (U) With respect to the Islamic Shari'a rider to the 
women's rights amendment, Al-Nisif did not anticipate any 
requirements for female legislators to wear hijab. Dashti was 
quoted as saying that if the Shari'a restriction refers to 
segregation, then she has no problem with that. 
 
Bloggers Share Their Thoughts 
----------------------------- 
 
¶14. (U) A quick scan of several local bloggers' websites 
reveals a congratulatory sentiment for Kuwaiti women and 
relief that this long-awaited political step has been taken. 
Mabrouk! (congrats) plastered several sites as 
liberal-leaning Kuwaitis posted their reactions to the May 16 
vote. "We got it! I can't believe it," opened one blogger. "I 
know it will come back and bite us in the ass because there 
are a lot of misinformed and maleducated (sic) voters," the 
blogger continued. Another shared that "I feel angry because 
this should have happened a long, long time ago." In a 
competitive vein, one blogger wrote: "Eat that Saudi Arabia! 
Not only will EVERY little nation around you come to terms 
with the modern world, they will even indulge themselves in 
foreign abominations such as allowing women to ... vote for 
their representatives in government." 
 
 
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LEBARON