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The Arab states of the Persian Gulf are made of the kingdoms of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the sultanate of Oman, the states of Kuwait and Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_states_of_the_Persian_Gulf

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http://www.gulfnews.com/Opinion/columns/region/10316543.html

 

VICTORY FOR GULF STATES WOMEN

 

Mohammad Abdullah Al Mutawa, Special to Gulf News

May 24, 2009

 

The election of four women as members of the Kuwaiti Parliament last week is a landmark in the history of the country's democracy.

It also provides evidence of the increasing awareness of the significant role played by women in political, social and economic life in Gulf countries.

Women of the Gulf have long made significant contributions, having burned their abayas during the 1950s to take up arms alongside their men and fight for freedom.

The region's women continue to affirm that they are full citizens who believe in their rights and fulfil their duties.

Yet, there are many factors that have prevented the natural evolution of society.

Among these are deep-rooted customs and traditions, as well as colonisation. As a result, women have not been encouraged to move ahead. Instead, they have been sidelined and - in some cases - denied education.

Another factor is the type of people who, due to political and social circumstances, emerged as the dominant powers over education and media. These powers succeeded in hindering development from the 1970s.

For example, when men and women started studying together at the University of Kuwait, these people pushed as hard as they could to get women excluded once more and to force them to stay at home.

They realised that by controlling the nation's parliament and Shura (consultative) councils they could dominate and impose their views on others.

Thus, they started a battle against nationalist and liberal forces, which resulted in the forging of alliances between different powers.

The media were also used by these forces to distort the image of the nationalist bloc, especially on the moral front. They linked women's liberation to immorality, which stirred public sentiment, because many people believed them.

Although some of the main figures involved in this battle claimed they were not part of Islamist organisations, their claims were unsubstantiated.

The main purpose of Islamist groups, whether they were the Muslim Brotherhood or Salafist parties, was to halt democratic development.

They realised that the writing of a constitution would signify a move from a society based on unwritten customs to a state that regulates social, political and economic life and outlines rights and duties.

The primary tactic of these powers was to raise issues that Arab and Muslim societies had suffered from for a long time. They highlighted contentious issues such as women's rights and segregation, and created divisions in the nation. This sparked tremendous tensions across society, but their main battle was against women.

Unfortunately, some women contributed to reinforcing the idea of gender inferiority, and many satellite TV stations may have helped spread such ideas.

This resulted in half of society being effectively paralysed, created a generation that was unsure how to get along with the other gender.

Kuwait was the first country in the region to introduce democracy and has implemented political participation since its independence.

But the Islamist movement has been the main obstacle to the nation's development and progress.

In the process, the Islamist movement has highlighted the negative aspects of democracy, and thus, made many countries think twice about experimenting with it.

The political opportunism practised by the Islamist groups showed how democracy can be exploited to create differences between the government and society.

It also showed how religion can be misused to play on the emotions of the public and, ultimately, to brainwash them.

This explains why women were long denied their political rights in Kuwait, which set the first democratic example in the Gulf region.

This manipulation was what prompted the Kuwaiti Emir to intervene to put an end to violations of democracy and to bring it back on track.

Here in the UAE, the participation of women was championed by the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and later by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

But an important question arises here: What could Kuwait's women achieve if they become part of both the executive and the legislature?

Entering the parliament is the first step by Kuwait's women in their quest to play their part in their country's social, economic and political development. The real battle has just begun.

 





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