Kuwait: women now allowed to become officers in the army
Kuwaiti soldiers at a graduation ceremony for army officers (illustrative image).
AFP - YASSER AL-ZAYYAT
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Thirteen years after being authorized to join the police force, Kuwaiti women will be able to become officers in the army.
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"
The time has come to give Kuwaiti women the chance to join the army alongside men,
" explained the Minister of Defense.
As of Tuesday, women can register for specialist officer and non-commissioned officer positions in the army in the fields of medicine and military support.
Until now, they could only occupy civilian functions.
Kuwaiti women are "
capable and ready to bear the difficulties of this task,
" added the minister.
According to sources quoted by local media, a decree should be published within two days, and the first group of soldiers include between 100 and 150 women.
In Kuwait, this is yet another step forward for women who have the right to vote and can stand for election since 2005.
But human rights NGOs are calling on the authorities to go much further.
In its latest report,
Human Rights Watch
recalls that the personal status law that applies to majority Sunni Muslims in the country continues to discriminate against women.
The NGO emphasizes that a man can still prohibit his wife from working if he considers that this is detrimental to the interests of the family.
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Kuwait
Womens rights