Ethics Newsline®

KUWAIT CITY
In a surprise move, the Kuwaiti National Assembly last week reversed course and granted full political rights to the country’s women, angering conservatives who said the move will damage the nation’s religious purity.

The unexpected vote to rewrite the country’s election laws comes only two weeks after parliament members had moved to restrict women’s suffrage, blocking them from taking part in city council elections.

Kuwait’s prime minister, Sheik Sabah al-Jaber al-Sabah, is believed to have forced the reform measure through the National Assembly ahead of a planned trip to Washington, noted the New York Times.

The country’s decision to grant suffrage rights to women brings Kuwait into line with other Arab countries that practice democracy. The lone hold-out is Saudi Arabia, according to a report from the Christian Science Monitor.

While last week’s reversal was welcomed as historic by many women, some were less enthusiastic, including a young Kuwaiti professional who worried that the vote could adversely impact women’s rights overall.

“The Bedouin have more wives” than do the educated, urban elite, she told the Monitor. “These women will vote on tribal lines and we’ll have more tribes in parliament.”

While conservative Islamic lawmakers were angry over last week’s move, they succeeded in amending the measure to require that “females abide by Islamic law” — language that has unclear ramifications, noted the Times.

While last week’s granting of suffrage rights was good news for many, the first time that Kuwaiti women will have the opportunity to vote and run for office will be the 2007 parliamentary elections, according to the Monitor.