Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KUWAIT271
2007-02-21 14:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
LIBERAL KUWAITI WOMEN SEE NEW LAW AS MEANS TO KEEP
how-toVZCZCXRO3368 PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR DE RUEHKU #0271 0521427 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 211427Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8366 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000271
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ARP AND G/IWI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV KHUM KWMN KU WOMEN POLITICAL RIGHTS
SUBJECT: LIBERAL KUWAITI WOMEN SEE NEW LAW AS MEANS TO KEEP
WOMEN DOWN
REF: KUWAIT 174
Classified By: ADCM Timothy Lenderking for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000271
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ARP AND G/IWI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV KHUM KWMN KU WOMEN POLITICAL RIGHTS
SUBJECT: LIBERAL KUWAITI WOMEN SEE NEW LAW AS MEANS TO KEEP
WOMEN DOWN
REF: KUWAIT 174
Classified By: ADCM Timothy Lenderking for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (SBU) Aisha Al-Reshaid, a women's activist, journalist,
and former candidate for parliament, told PolOff on February
19 that the proposed new law on women's social and civil
rights (reftel) is an Islamist project to buy women's support
while at the same time keeping them out of public life. "The
law pays women to sit at home so they won't get involved in
politics," said Al-Reshaid, citing the fact that it gives
added paid maternity leave, lowers women's retirement age,
allots women with children a monthly stipend if they are not
working, and affords them partial salaries if they accompany
their husbands abroad. She said that the proposed law
includes other benefits for women as well, but that most of
these rights are already in existing laws. This concerns
Al-Reshaid because she thinks women do not know this and thus
are deceived into believing that the Islamists who introduced
the bill are strengthening women's rights.
2. (SBU) In a separate meeting, Dr. Rola Dashti, another
former candidate for parliament, criticized the law as well.
She agreed with Al-Reshaid's assessment that the law was an
attempt to buy women's quiescence. She also noted that the
creation of a separate law for women's benefits was
inherently discriminatory. While some of the laws'
provisions might seem beneficial, setting separate laws for
women would be a dangerous precedent, according to Dr.
Dashti. She expressed concern that future additions to this
women's law might not be so beneficial. She favors a unified
law that treats men and women equally in areas where it
currently does not, such as housing benefits and passing
citizenship onto children.
3. (SBU) Al-Reshaid said that the Women's Network (WIN),a
grouping of prominent female activists (including Dr. Dashti)
that advocates for women's rights, would take up the issue
and would work to expose it as a tool for women's repression
disguised as a law enhancing their rights and privileges.
4. (C) Comment: While it seems paradoxical that a law
giving women additional benefits would be so strongly opposed
by women's activists, there is a great deal of validity to
their arguments. Al-Reshaid, Dashti and other women's
activists note that the dearth of women in leadership
positions is a key factor that limits women's progress. This
bill will provide further disincentives to work and and to
stay in the workplace when nearing the lowered retirement
age, thereby exacerbating the lack of women in leadership
positions. The bill also seems destined to hand the
Islamists a victory: either the bill will pass and the
Islamists will proclaim their achievements for women's
rights, or the Government will oppose this as a populist
boondoggle and the Islamists will accuse the Government of
opposing women's interests. Finally, creating a separate law
for women's civil and social rights creates a vehicle for
future amendments that might harm women's interests, perhaps
again masked by financial benefits. End Comment.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
TUELLER
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ARP AND G/IWI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV KHUM KWMN KU WOMEN POLITICAL RIGHTS
SUBJECT: LIBERAL KUWAITI WOMEN SEE NEW LAW AS MEANS TO KEEP
WOMEN DOWN
REF: KUWAIT 174
Classified By: ADCM Timothy Lenderking for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (SBU) Aisha Al-Reshaid, a women's activist, journalist,
and former candidate for parliament, told PolOff on February
19 that the proposed new law on women's social and civil
rights (reftel) is an Islamist project to buy women's support
while at the same time keeping them out of public life. "The
law pays women to sit at home so they won't get involved in
politics," said Al-Reshaid, citing the fact that it gives
added paid maternity leave, lowers women's retirement age,
allots women with children a monthly stipend if they are not
working, and affords them partial salaries if they accompany
their husbands abroad. She said that the proposed law
includes other benefits for women as well, but that most of
these rights are already in existing laws. This concerns
Al-Reshaid because she thinks women do not know this and thus
are deceived into believing that the Islamists who introduced
the bill are strengthening women's rights.
2. (SBU) In a separate meeting, Dr. Rola Dashti, another
former candidate for parliament, criticized the law as well.
She agreed with Al-Reshaid's assessment that the law was an
attempt to buy women's quiescence. She also noted that the
creation of a separate law for women's benefits was
inherently discriminatory. While some of the laws'
provisions might seem beneficial, setting separate laws for
women would be a dangerous precedent, according to Dr.
Dashti. She expressed concern that future additions to this
women's law might not be so beneficial. She favors a unified
law that treats men and women equally in areas where it
currently does not, such as housing benefits and passing
citizenship onto children.
3. (SBU) Al-Reshaid said that the Women's Network (WIN),a
grouping of prominent female activists (including Dr. Dashti)
that advocates for women's rights, would take up the issue
and would work to expose it as a tool for women's repression
disguised as a law enhancing their rights and privileges.
4. (C) Comment: While it seems paradoxical that a law
giving women additional benefits would be so strongly opposed
by women's activists, there is a great deal of validity to
their arguments. Al-Reshaid, Dashti and other women's
activists note that the dearth of women in leadership
positions is a key factor that limits women's progress. This
bill will provide further disincentives to work and and to
stay in the workplace when nearing the lowered retirement
age, thereby exacerbating the lack of women in leadership
positions. The bill also seems destined to hand the
Islamists a victory: either the bill will pass and the
Islamists will proclaim their achievements for women's
rights, or the Government will oppose this as a populist
boondoggle and the Islamists will accuse the Government of
opposing women's interests. Finally, creating a separate law
for women's civil and social rights creates a vehicle for
future amendments that might harm women's interests, perhaps
again masked by financial benefits. End Comment.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
TUELLER