Since the seventies of the last century, Kuwaiti women have tried to reduce the gap between them and the male community by seizing their various rights, whether political or social, a struggle that could only see the light with the support of men as well, and who alone had the right to exist in the parliament.

The first attempts began with the proposal of a law presented by the deputy in the "1971 Council" Salem Al-Marzouq by granting educated women the right to vote, and in the "1975 Council", the two representatives at that time Jassem Al-Qatami and Rashid Al-Farhan renewed the proposal to grant Kuwaiti women all their rights.

However, those attempts did not bear fruit.

Deputy in the current Kuwaiti National Assembly Safaa Al-Hashem (Al-Jazeera)

The first Kuwaiti ambassador

The matter was not without some successes that were achieved periodically, including the selection of Nabila Al-Mulla as the country's ambassador to Zimbabwe and South Africa in 1993 during Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's foreign ministry.

Thus, she became the first ambassador in the country's history, and at the end of 2003 she was chosen as a permanent representative to the United Nations.

With the continuation of its efforts to prove its existence and a sense of its important and effective role in political life, the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers announced, after the end of its ministerial session on May 16, 1999, the desire of the then Emir of the country, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to issue an Amiri decree granting Kuwaiti women full political rights, in appreciation of their role In building the renaissance of Kuwait and its progress in all fields;

Especially its heroic stance alongside its man brother in defending Kuwait during the ordeal of the occupation and its precious sacrifices.

A few days later, specifically on May 25, 1999, the draft decree-law was submitted to His Highness the Emir, who approved and ratified it and was published in the Official Gazette;

However, the Kuwaiti woman’s happiness with this historic achievement did not last long. The decree was rejected when it was voted on in the 1999 Council by two votes only.

Aseel Al-Awadi in the National Assembly in 2009, when Kuwaiti women achieved a high caliber surprise after announcing the victory of 4 women, all of them university professors (Al-Jazeera)

The right to run and be elected

With Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah assuming the premiership on July 13, 2003, talks began again about granting women their political rights and translating the initiative put forward by the late Emir of the country, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, regarding their rights.

On May 16, 2005, during a marathon session, the Kuwaiti National Assembly approved the proposal of the law submitted by the government to amend the text of Article 1 of the Election Law to allow women to exercise their right to run and be elected, with a majority of 35 votes, 23 MPs opposing, and one member abstaining.

During the session and from inside the Abdullah Al-Salem hall, the Prime Minister at the time gave a speech after resolving the matter in which he thanked everyone who supported or opposed the amendment, considering that this is democracy. He also congratulated Kuwaiti women on obtaining their political rights, which came with an emiri desire and approved by the Council, wishing that they would contribute In the building and elevation of Kuwait.

After the session and during his response to a question about the possibility of the government appointing a minister, Al-Sabah said that the government is now entitled to appoint a minister after women have been granted the political right to vote and run.

In a statement published in Al-Qabas newspaper in its May 17, 2005 issue, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense at the time, said that the desire of His Highness the Amir of the country was fulfilled with the efforts and follow-up of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, considering this day a historic day in the political life of Kuwait .

Minister of Works in the current Kuwaiti government Rana Al-Faris (Al-Jazeera)

Municipal council membership

In June 2005, the Kuwaiti government began its first steps in pushing women to take their place on the political map in the country, with the selection of engineers Fatima Saud Al-Sabah and Fawzia Muhammad Al-Bahr as members of the Municipal Council.

Masouma Al-Mubarak and Rola Dashti during their membership in the National Assembly (Al-Jazeera)

The first Kuwaiti minister

In the same month, the government headed by Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah opened the door for women to be included in the government formation, by choosing Dr. Masouma Al-Mubarak to occupy the position of Minister of Planning and Minister of State for Administrative Development as the first minister in the country's history.

In the National Assembly

After the establishment of political rights, the 2008 National Assembly elections were the first real test for women, and at that time 27 women announced their candidacy for the first time.

However, none of them were lucky enough to enter the council, and in the 2009 elections, Kuwaiti women achieved a heavy surprise after announcing the victory of 4 women, all of whom were university professors.

They are: Masoumeh Al-Mubarak, Salwa Al-Jassar, Rola Dashti and Aseel Al-Awadi.

Rola Dashti and Salwa Al-Jassar in the Kuwaiti National Assembly 2009 (Al-Jazeera)

In successive governments

Since her success with this number in the National Assembly, women have remained present in all successive governments, so Masouma Al-Mubarak was appointed again in July 2006 as Minister of Transportation, then Minister of Health in the 2007 government, which also included Nouriya Al-Subaih as Minister of Education and Higher Education.

Council 2009 witnessed the success of 4 women deputies: Masouma Al-Mubarak, Salwa Al-Jassar, Rola Dashti and Aseel Al-Awadi (Al-Jazeera)

In the 2008 government, Dr. Mawada Al-Hamoud was chosen as Minister of Housing and Minister of State for Development Affairs, along with Nouriya Al-Subaih as Minister of Education and Higher Education, and they continued to be present in the next government.

In the government of May 2011, Dr. Amani Bursli was chosen as Minister of Trade and Industry, and in the government of July 2012, Dr. Rula Dashti was appointed Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs, and in December of the same year, Dashti was again chosen as Minister for Planning and Development. Zikra Al-Rashidi, Minister of Social Affairs.

In August 2013, Hind Al-Subaih was appointed Minister of Social Affairs, and she was selected again to take over many portfolios in successive governments until December 2016 when Dr. Janan Bushehri joined her as Minister of Housing Affairs and Minister of State for Services Affairs, and she later held the position of Minister of Public Works. Until her resignation in November 2019.

3 women ministers for the first time in the country's history

The current government headed by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, whose decree was issued on December 17, 2019, was distinguished by the presence of 3 women for the first time in the country's history: Maryam Al-Aqil, Dr. Rana Al-Faris and Ghadeer Asiri.

However, the latter resigned by January 30.

Al-Awadi and Al-Mubarak in an interview with a number of ministers and deputies (Al-Jazeera)

Kuwaiti women in the judiciary

After the woman secured her presence in the executive and legislative branches, she hoped that the contract would be completed with her presence in the third authority, which is the judiciary, which was also achieved during the era of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and this began in 2014 with the issuance of a decision by the Minister of Justice to appoint 20 female deputies The Public Prosecutor is among those appointed at the time, opening the way for women to gain access to justice, which was actually achieved at the end of last June, when the country's Attorney General, Counselor Dirar Al-Asousi, announced that 8 of them had been promoted to work as judges in an event that is the first of its kind in the country's history.