Kuwait Times

Published Date: May 04, 2009
By Nawara Fattahova, Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The problems that Kuwaiti women face have remained unresolved and have become an obstacle to the development of the country, says Nawaf Abu Sheiba, candidate for the second constituency. He held an electoral rally at his campaign headquarters in Ghernata area on Saturday evening for the women voters in the electoral district. During the event Abu Sheiba discussed various issues related to women's rights.

Women are two thirds of Kuwait's society; Yet, the Kuwaiti woman has been struggling for a long time to solve different issues such as housing and rights for Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis as well as full rights for divorced women. "The time has come to solve all these problems that put pressure on the government's performance. They also paralyze the development of the country," said Abu Sheiba at the opening of the electoral rally.

The Kuwait woman is now more educated and aware of what is happening on the political scene. "The problem is that women always vote for men. Some people want to hide the Kuwaiti woman although she has a noticeable role in the development of society. It's important to honestly support the Kuwaiti woman," Abu Sheiba said. Women were granted their political rights in May 2005. A year later, women in Kuwait exercised their right to vote and participate in elections. Before the enfranchisement, Kuwaiti women we
re very active in the political life, argues Abu Sheiba elaborating that numerous women achieved important key positions in different public, commercial, and academic sectors.

Most of the women's problems remain unresolved. Nevertheless, great efforts are exerted to solve the problems women in Kuwait face. Abu Sheiba demanded establishing a higher council for women that will count the problems of women in Kuwait from the time of their birth. "This council should attend to women's problems in the different stages of her life. Starting from the first years after childbirth, through school, then career and on the job. The council should tend to the problems that the working woman
faces, the mother, and the elderly woman," he explained.

Healthcare is another pillar of Abu Sheiba's agenda. "Increasing the number of pediatric hospitals is a must," he says arguing that there should be more maternity hospitals and kindergartens. During the rally he suggested an increase in the number of hospitals. He took up the task to develop the hospitals in the public sphere. His proposal also include a subsidy to be given to the parents who prefer to register their daughters in private schools. "I also suggest a decrease of the admission rates of Kuwait
University and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, even if they had to open them in the evening," he pointed out.

Abu Sheiba also suggested establishing a fund to help the students who graduated from high school and were not admitted in the university. This fund will provide internal scholarship, which will be paid back after the student graduates and finds a job. "Also I demand securing 15,000 work places annually for the graduates," he said.

Abu Sheiba is very vocal against gender discrimination. "Only four percent of the leading positions are occupied by women, although they make 50 percent of the workforce. Women should be given more privileges such as increasing the maternity holidays or building nurseries in the place of work. Also, housewives should get more support, as well as the divorced women and widows. I suggest changes to the Civil Code," noted Abu Sheiba.

He also discussed some of the hurdles that Kuwaiti woman married to non-Kuwaiti suffer. "The Kuwaiti woman should be given her rights without looking at her husband's nationality; especially when it is a matter of giving the Kuwaiti nationality to her children. Also, the elderly women staying at the nursing home should be given better care," Abu Sheiba added.

During the rally, Abu Sheiba also reflected on the different problems of the family in general, stressing these to be the debts of the families that were incurred as a result of the economic crisis. On a final note, Abu Sheiba also suggested carrying out several public projects such as establishing public fund for the health insurance for Kuwaitis.