FIRST LADY PROMOTES EDUCATION AND WOMEN'S

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001575

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

FOR NEA/ARP, WHITE HOUSE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PDEM KWMN KDEM KU
SUBJECT: FIRST LADY PROMOTES EDUCATION AND WOMEN'S
EMPOWERMENT DURING KUWAIT VISIT


1. (U) Summary: First Lady Laura Bush visited Kuwait
October 24-25 as part of her regional trip to highlight
education, breast cancer awareness, women's issues, and the
Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). At a diwaniyya
(traditional discussion salon) hosted by Higher Education
Undersecretary Dr. Rasha Al-Sabah, she shared experiences
with women leaders, including a number of candidates from the
2006 parliamentary and muncipal council elections, the first
in which women were allowed to vote and run for office. Mrs.
Bush then attended a recruitment event for the USG-funded
English Access Microscholarship program, where she heard from
Kuwaiti student participants who learned about American
culture and democratic values while improving their English.
Mrs. Bush also met Amir Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah and
visited U.S. troops stationed in Kuwait. Mrs. Bush was
accompanied throughout her program by Education Minister
Nouriya Al-Sabih. The trip received extensive positive media
coverage. End Summary.

Engaging Women's Activists
--------------


2. (U) First Lady Laura Bush visited Kuwait October 24-25
as part of her regional trip to highlight education, breast
cancer awareness, women's issues, and the Middle East
Partnership Initiative (MEPI). She began her Kuwait program
with an event at the diwaniyya of Higher Education
Undersecretary Dr. Rasha Al-Sabah. Dr. Rasha, the first
person in Kuwait to open a mixed-gender diwaniyya, hosted 17
prominent women activists in the political and social arenas,
including Minister of Education Nouriya al-Sabih, former
Minister of Health Ma'souma al-Mubarak (the first female
minister in Kuwait),four candidates from municipal and
parliamentary elections in 2006, as well as professors,
government officials, activists, and journalists.


3. (SBU) The event started with a 15-minute documentary
film by Kuwaiti Director and Producer Walid Al-Awadhi
chronicling the lives of three women candidates in the 2006
elections, the first in which women were allowed to vote and
run for Parliament. Dr. Rasha began the discussion by asking
the former candidates about their experiences and lessons
learned from the last elections. Some women, especially the
former candidates, suggested that Kuwait should institute a
quota to ensure women's election to Parliament. They argued
that it would be hard for a woman to win an election without
a quota because in Kuwaiti culture women are rarely in
leadership positions. They admitted, however, that quotas do
not have much support in Parliament and would be very
difficult to pass. Former candidate Aisha Al-Reshaid
suggested that when political parties eventually get
recognition in Kuwait, they should be required to have a set
percentage of women members in order to qualify. (Note:
Currently political parties are not recognized in Kuwait, so
candidates run on individual agendas and platforms. End
Note.) Membership quota for women in political parties would
be an easier sell than a quota in Parliament, she argued.


4. (SBU) Arab Open University Professor Dr. Nada Al-Mutawa
contended that Kuwaiti perceptions and values have to be
changed before women can get elected to Parliament. She said
Kuwaitis, even Kuwaiti women, are not ready to vote for a
woman. The prevailing perception in society is that women
are not as qualified as men to govern. Al-Mutawa said more
needs to be done in schools and colleges to change this
perception. Speaking on next steps leading up to the
election, former Minister Ma'souma Al-Mubarak said that women
have to be more organized, noting that some women candidates
missed the deadlines and were disqualified from running in
the last elections. Women candidates also must court the
media in a more constructive manner. Some other women added
that female candidates should look to male candidates and
learn from them how to run a campaign. Former candidate
Laila Al-Rashed said women candidates need to work with the
Kuwaiti populace and Kuwaiti youth to gain popular support.
To close the session, Mrs. Bush shared her experiences on the
campaign trail and offered advice to the women on future
campaigns.


5. (SBU) Following Mrs. Bush's departure, the women
continued the discussion over lunch. Dr. Kafia Ramadan, the
host of "Cross Roads," a popular television program on
women's and children's issues, suggested that they should
continue this discussion on her television program. The
women plan on organizing a televised roundtable on politics
and women on Dr. Kafia's program in the next few weeks.

Fostering American Values Through Education
--------------

KUWAIT 00001575 002 OF 002




6. (U) Mrs. Bush then joined Education Minister Al-Sabih at
a recruitment event for the USG-funded English Access
Microscholarship program at a Ministry of Education training
facility. This State Department program seeks to teach the
English language and American values to less-advantaged
Kuwaitis through experiential learning. Three students
shared their experiences in the program with a crowded hall
of journalists and Kuwaiti English teachers. The students
talked about their participation in the program in Kuwait as
well as in summer camps in the United States, where they met
students from other countries, improved their English, and
learned about American-style participatory democracy.


7. (U) In addition to providing a forum for the First Lady
to interact with Kuwait youth, another purpose of the event
was to expose Kuwaiti English teachers to the English Access
Microscholarship program so they could identify students who
would be good candidates to participate in the future. Mrs.
Bush's presence and engagement provided a powerful boost to
this important program for spreading democratic values,
American culture, and English language skills.

Amir Meeting
--------------


8. (SBU) Mrs. Bush paid a visit to Amir Shaykh Sabah
Al-Ahmad Al Sabah, who had assembled the top leadership of
the country for the occasion, including the Crown Prince,
Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Minister of Amiri Diwan
Affairs. Mrs. Bush briefed the Amir on her visit in the
region as well as the activities she had undertaken in
Kuwait. The Amir expressed openness to further partnership
with the U.S. on education and health issues.

Rallying the Troops
--------------


9. (U) On October 25, Mrs. Bush went to Ali Al-Salem Air
Force base to spend time with many of the U.S. military
personnel stationed in Kuwait or transiting Kuwait to or from
Iraq. She thanked them for their service and urged them to
continue to represent their country with honor. She also
noted the continuing partnership of Kuwait and the U.S.,
pointing out that Ali Al-Salem is a Kuwaiti base and is the
first place where Kuwaiti and U.S. flags flew together.

Media
--------------


10. (U) Mrs. Bush's trip received extensive coverage by the
local and international media. The microscholarship event
and troop visit were open to the press. The women's event
and a courtesy call to Amir Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah
were closed to the press, but photo sprays of the events
featured prominently in the Arabic and English media. The
coverage was positive; it portrayed the First Lady -- and the
United States -- as interested in issues of human development.

********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
MISENHEIMER