VZCZCXRO3437
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHKU #2392/01 1701349
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 191349Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5273
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KUWAIT 002392 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KWMN KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: WOMEN'S ELECTION PARTICIPATION 
BREAKING TABOOS, SHAPING ISSUES, AND CHANGING THE STATUS QUO 
 
REF: KUWAIT 2271 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Matthew H. Tueller 
 for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C/NF) Summary and comment: The participation of women in 
the June 29 parliamentary elections is having a profound 
impact on Kuwaiti society.  Issues of equality and social 
import have taken a prominent place in the local media, and 
candidates have been forced to address issues important to 
women such as health and education.  Candidates have also 
made special arrangements to allow female candidates to 
attend their campaign rallies and seminars.  The conservative 
backlash that might be expected from such a major change has 
been minimal.  Some male candidates still do not take women 
seriously, especially in this first election where it is 
likely that women will support conservative candidates.  The 
changes that are taking place, however, will irreversibly 
change Kuwaiti society to give women a greater voice.  End 
summary and comment. 
 
Breaking Social Taboos 
---------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU/NF)  Women's participation, both as voters and 
candidates, in the June 29 parliamentary elections is having 
a profound effect on Kuwait and breaking many conservative 
social taboos in the process.  Thousands of women are 
enthusiastically attending the campaign rallies of both male 
and female candidates.  At many campaign tents in Kuwait 
City, male and female voters mingle freely; others have 
partitions or separate tents for female voters, who can watch 
male candidates address men via closed-circuit television. 
In more rural, tribal constituencies (reftel), candidates 
have held separate rallies for female voters since, as one 
supporter of a tribal candidate told PolOff, it would be 
impossible for women to mingle with men as they do in urban 
areas. 
 
¶3.  (SBU/NF) The campaign headquarters of female candidates 
have been swarmed by supporters not only from their districts 
but from every area in Kuwait.  Candidate Dr. Rola Dashti, a 
U.S. educated economist, estimated that a mixed crowd of more 
than 3,000 people attended her opening rally.  Exemplifying 
increasing political activism and the profound social changes 
underway, a middle-aged man urged his sheepish brother to 
approach outspoken candidate Aisha Al-Reshaid at her campaign 
tent.  The brother admitted that he had been reticent to 
visit her tent because of what he had heard about her.  But 
he said seeing her in person gave him a completely different 
impression and he thanked her for her efforts and wished her 
the best in the elections.  "It is time to change," he said 
simply.  Al-Reshaid told him not to believe everything he 
heard in the press and, clearly basking in the limelight, 
winked at PolOffs sitting next to her in triumph of a small 
victory won. 
 
Nightlife, Kuwaiti Style 
------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (C/NF) Women are also participating actively in campaign 
activities.  Male candidates from all political leanings have 
established "women's committees" to campaign on their behalf 
with female voters in their district.  Some women have even 
complained about the number of calls they have received from 
female campaigners.  Retired diplomat and GOK critic Mohammed 
Al-Qadiri told PolOff his home phone has been ringing 
non-stop with calls for his wife and two of his daughters. 
He is not receiving any calls because he failed to update his 
residency information after a move to a new neighborhood. 
Because women were automatically registered to vote following 
the change in the voting law, updated contact information for 
his wife and daughters is available to candidates.  Abdul 
Hussein Al-Sultan, the Secretary General of a Shi'a political 
association and a campaign advisor to several Shi'a 
candidates, told PolOff that a 1 AM strategy meeting with one 
Shi'a candidate was attended by a number of women who joked 
about their husbands waiting at home for them while they 
debated campaign strategies and political issues.  One 
liberal candidate even had female campaign workers in 
short-sleeve shirts directing men and women to available 
seats as they arrived at his campaign rally. 
 
¶5.  (SBU/NF) Political Scientist Dr. Nada Al-Mutawa recounted 
to EmbOffs that she was at a rally and overheard an elderly 
woman tell her daughter she was not ready to return home and 
wanted to visit the campaign tents of other candidates.  The 
tired daughter reluctantly spoke to other women, identified 
the nearby headquarters of other candidates, and dutifully 
 
KUWAIT 00002392  002 OF 004 
 
 
escorted her mother to other tents.  Al-Mutawa explained this 
exchange was not unique.  Many older women are enjoying the 
late night election activities and opportunities to stay out 
late, something they only do when attending women-only 
weddings. 
 
The Fatwa's in Your Court 
------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C/NF) These developments have not been met with 
universal approval, particularly among Islamists.  The Dean 
of the Faculty of Sharia at Kuwait University, Dr. Mohammed 
Al-Tabtabaei, caused considerable controversy when he issued 
a "fatwa" recently stating that "a divorce claimed by a 
husband on the grounds that his wife did not vote according 
to his preference will be valid."  The Ministry of Awqaf's 
Al-Ifta and Islamic Research Sector issued a counter fatwa, 
which reportedly invalidates Al-Tabtabaei's fatwa, ruling 
that "no one can force any citizen, either male or female, to 
vote for any specific candidate."  Al-Mutawa claimed the 
press exaggerated the reaction to the alleged fatwa, but 
PolChief met with a group of women activists the day of the 
announcement and they were clearly worried the proclamation 
would keep Shi'a women away from the polls and encouraged 
religious scholars to speak out against Al-Tabtabaei. 
 
¶7.  (U) In addition, several of Al-Reshaid's campaign posters 
were vandalized.  Four "Islamist activists," whom Al-Reshaid 
claimed belonged to "an Islamist group opposed to women's 
political rights," were arrested for vandalizing the posters, 
the English daily Arab Times reported June 14.  Asked about 
the vandalism, Al-Reshaid shrugged it off with a smile, 
seemingly relishing the firestorm of criticism she elicits 
from conservative Islamists.  Posters for a few other 
candidates, including one man, have also been defaced, but 
the acts have not attracted the attention that the vandalism 
of Al-Reshaid's has, in part because Al-Reshaid is running in 
a extremely conservative district against an outspoken former 
Islamist MP. 
 
Shaping the Issues 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  (C/NF)  The participation of women is also shaping the 
issues and rhetoric of these elections.  Local media have 
devoted extensive coverage to women's participation and 
candidates' positions on women's issues and political 
participation.  Female voters are asking tough, intelligent 
questions with a focus on social issues such as education, 
health care, and discriminatory personal status laws. 
Several female candidates, like former Assistant 
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information for Tourism 
Nabila Al-Omari and MEPI program alumna Hind Ben Al-Shaikh, 
are campaigning primarily on these issues.  Al-Mutawa and Dr. 
Samar Al-Roumi, a professor and columnist, explained that not 
only are women deeply interested in the issues, but because 
women traditionally do not attend diwaniyas and regularly 
interact with the male candidates, they view the campaign 
tents as their one and only opportunity to ask tough 
questions, dismissing the deferential treatment usually given 
to former MPs.  A highly-placed advisor to one male candidate 
concurred, saying that women were more issues-oriented than 
men, since they had fewer personal connections to the 
candidates.  Women are also calling to task many Islamist 
candidates running for re-election for voting against women's 
suffrage legislation in 2005, a trend encouraged by liberal 
candidates and women's activists who advocate not voting for 
anyone who voted against women's suffrage. 
 
¶9.  (C/NF) Many political activists and liberal politicians 
are encouraging women to exercise their newly-acquired 
political rights.  In a women's diwaniya he hosted in 
February, Ali Al-Rashid, a liberal MP who headed the 
recently-dissolved Parliament's Human Rights Defense 
Committee and tried in vain to get Oprah Winfrey to attend a 
conference he organized, urged women not only to vote, but to 
bring up the issues they care about and to force 
parliamentary candidates to address these issues.  He went 
beyond the normal rhetoric of campaigners who talk about 
women's votes having an effect on "women's" issues such as 
health, education, and personal status laws, saying women 
could be the engine for reform in Kuwaiti society as a whole. 
 
 
Get Out the Vote 
---------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU/NF)  Focusing on the broader reform issue and the 
potential impact of women on the political scene, several 
 
KUWAIT 00002392  003 OF 004 
 
 
candidates are concurrently involved in voter education and 
awareness programs.  Candidate Al-Anjari told PolOff that she 
intends to launch o/a June 20 a women's electoral empowerment 
campaign through the media.  She proudly pointed to a purple 
ribbon on her lapel which she said symbolized her "Women of 
Kuwait Are Gonna Vote" campaign.  This campaign, separate 
from her own electoral bid, is designed to spur women to vote 
and thereby confirm their importance to the political system. 
 For example, the campaign will encourage women who live in 
districts where there is no candidate they support to go to 
the polls and file empty ballots.  Likewise, with general 
guidance and encouragement from the MEPI-funded National 
Democratic Institute, the Women's Social and Cultural Society 
(WSCS) is launching a voter education campaign using print 
and broadcast media and advertisements on the back of buses. 
The message chosen by the Society depicts a partial view of a 
young woman with a piece of tape across her mouth and the tag 
line, "For your voice to rise, use your right."  UNDP 
contributed to the campaign and WSCS secured free air time 
from local TV and radio stations.  Additionally, the owner of 
74 plasma TVs located in 15 malls agreed to run for free the 
public service announcements every 20 minutes throughout for 
a total of 27,972 airings during the campaign period.  (Note: 
 Septel will address the role of MEPI-funded programs in the 
parliamentary elections.  End note.) 
 
¶11.  (U)  Other local businesses have also stepped forward in 
support of women's rights.  The newly established Jazeera 
Airlines, Kuwait's first private airline, announced it would 
offer free flights to Kuwaiti women who wanted to come to 
Kuwait to vote in the June 29 elections.  CEO Marwan Boodai 
told the press, "We want to ensure that as many women as 
possible have the available access to return to Kuwait to 
vote in these historic elections as part of Jazeera Airways' 
national social responsibility program."  He also extended 
the free invitation to "women of every nationality to fly 
Jazeera Airways to Kuwait and observe the historic 
elections."  Jazeera flies to Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, 
Bahrain, and Dubai.  In addition, candidates in some 
districts are reportedly offering to provide transportation 
to polling stations to women who want to vote. 
 
¶12.  (U)  While most members of the ruling family have shied 
away from comments on the elections, poet Dr. Maymouna 
Al-Sabah has attended the rallies of several female 
candidates and penned an op-ed encouraging women to vote 
noting, "...their mere participation in this election is a 
victory to all women in Kuwait."  Other Al-Sabah women 
lamented to PolChief that members of the ruling family do not 
vote, commenting they would be proud to join their sisters at 
the polls. 
 
A Slow Process 
-------------- 
 
¶13.  (C/NF) In this conservative, male-dominated society, the 
significance of these changes should not be underestimated. 
Nonetheless, there is still a long way to go.  Most contacts 
agree that the majority of women will vote on the advice of 
their male relatives.  Supporting this view, 76% of those 
responding to a recent poll conducted by the private 
television channel Al-Rai said they believed "men have an 
influence on a woman's vote."  Even a liberal contact told 
PolOff his sister asked him recently, "Who are we voting 
for?"  There are a number of reasons why women are likely to 
rely on their male relatives' advice when voting: 
conservative social values, lack of information about the 
issues and candidates, and a tendency for families to vote as 
a bloc.  It is also unlikely that a female candidate will be 
elected due to the short campaign period and the fact that 
female candidates are not known personally to most voters, 
whereas many male candidates have spent years visiting 
diwaniyas and developing a strong base of support. 
 
¶14.  (C/NF) For these reasons, some candidates downplay the 
significance of women's participation in these elections. 
One tribal candidate told PolOff he was relying on men to 
reach female voters.  Jamal Al-Omar, a pro-Government 
candidate running for re-election, told PolOff he had held a 
separate meeting for women, but was unable to cite any 
specifics as to how his message to them had differed from his 
message to male voters.  Instead, he said somewhat 
patronizingly that he explained the history and process of 
voting to the women.  Several other male candidates or their 
campaign managers have been similarly unable to explain why 
they believe women will vote for them, suggesting some 
candidates do not view female voters as a unique constituency 
with unique concerns.  It will be interesting to see if in 
four years candidates can be as dismissive of women's 
 
KUWAIT 00002392  004 OF 004 
 
 
concerns when they have to defend their record in the 
National Assembly on issues important to women. 
 
¶15.  (C/NF) It is also likely that women's participation in 
these elections will benefit Islamist candidates.  Islamists 
are well organized and well funded, and have a strong 
conservative base whose female members are expected to vote 
for male Islamist candidates.  In addition, women in 
conservative families are more likely to follow the lead of 
their male relatives when voting than those from more liberal 
backgrounds.  Women's participation is also likely to have 
only a marginal impact in tribal constituencies, where only 
male members of the tribe are allowed to participate in 
primaries to choose candidates to represent the tribe in the 
elections.  Since primaries are illegal in Kuwait -- a law 
seldom enforced by the Government -- there are no regulations 
requiring tribes to allow female members to participate in 
the primaries.  Both the men and women from the tribe are 
expected to vote for the candidates chosen in these 
primaries, one tribal supporter told PolOffs.  Thus, female 
voter turnout is likely to be high in tribal areas, but their 
vote will almost certainly be pre-determined. 
 
A Lasting Impact 
---------------- 
 
¶16.  (C/NF) Despite these concerns, women's participation in 
these elections is making a significant difference and is 
laying the groundwork for women's full integration into 
Kuwait's political system.  In addition to the short-term 
impact on these elections, women's participation is likely to 
have a significant long-term impact, particularly in shaping 
legislative priorities over the next four years and in 
enhancing the standing and legitimacy of the National 
Assembly.  Now that more than half of the electorate is 
female, MPs are likely to focus more on issues of social 
equality than in previous Parliaments.  Ironically, the 
failure of female candidates could also lead to the adoption 
of a quota system, in which a specific number of seats in 
Parliament are allocated to women, as has been proposed by 
some activists.  Women's participation is also likely to lead 
to a gradual shift in social attitudes, as women's attendance 
at traditionally male-only diwaniyas and other gatherings 
where politics are discussed becomes more acceptable.  One 
woman told PolChief that she is now discussing politics with 
her husband for the first time and he sought her opinions on 
the credentials of both the male and female candidates.  Such 
changes, which will not be measurable in the results of June 
29 elections, may prove to have the biggest effect on women's 
issues in Kuwait.  Finally, there is still a possibility that 
the new Parliament will vote to reduce the number of 
electoral districts in Kuwait.  This would give women a 
further boost since redistricting will enhance the role of 
emerging political parties and force candidates to rely more 
on political platforms and less on the leverage of personal 
and family connections. 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
********************************************* * 
TUELLER