Kuwait appoints first female minister ever
Kuwait, Politics, 6/13/2005

Kuwait has appointed the first female minister less than one month after giving woman the right to full political participation, as an important step in the democratic reform in the country.

The prime minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah appointed an activist who defends human rights, Masouma Mubarak, in the post of the minister of planning and a minister of state for administrative development affairs.

The Kuwaiti official news agency KUNA quoted al-Sabah as sayting that "appointing a Kuwaiti woman in the cabinet is considered a remarkable step, we have dreamt to achieve. Today we are witnessing the realization of this hope so that the Kuwaiti woman is taking part in the progress of her country." Thereby, the political science teacher at Kuwait university and the journalist, replaces Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah al-Ahmad al-Sabah in the post. Official sources said that Ahmad keeps his post as a minister of communication. The ministry of health will be also assigned to him.

In her first statement, Masouma al-Mubarak, 57 years old, said she was honored to be the first minister in the history of Kuwait. She added appointing her in that post shows that the Kuwaiti woman has capabilities qualifying her to occupy various posts.

The new minister, the only Shiite member in the Kuwaiti Cabinet, composed of 16 members, has filled the gap left by the resignation of the minister of information since several months.

The decision of the government came to complete a decision taken earlier this month to appointing two women at the municipal council for the first time in its history.

The government appointed six persons in the council after selecting ten of its members in direct elections took place on June 2nd.

The female economist Roula Dishti, a prominent defender of woman rights in Kuwait, recommended chosing Masouma. She described her as a symbol of the movement of the Kuwaiti woman to restore her political rights.

The Kuwaiti woman Loulwa al-Milla, the activist in the field of women rights, considered the appointment of Masouma as a correct step of Kuwait's inclination towards democracy.

This step came in an attempt by the government of Kuwait to enhance the political position of women in the country after the Kuwaiti Ummah council approved in May giving women the right to vote and to be candidates in elections.

Worthy mentioning that Qatar, the first member of the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC appointed the first woman minister in 2003 and then was followed by the majority of the Gulf states.

Previous Stories:
  Kuwait's human traficking report   (6/10/2005)
  Kuwait's crown prince in hospital   (6/10/2005)
  Kuwaiti court supports sentence against a scholar accused of insulting the Amir   (6/9/2005)
  Kuwaiti government appoints two women to the municipal council   (6/6/2005)
  Kuwait elect municipal council; last election confined to men   (6/3/2005)
  Historic vote: Kuwaiti women get full political rights   (5/17/2005)

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