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Kuwait women carves history by winning the elections
Kuwaiti women have created a historical milestone by winning the first-ever seat in Kuwait parliament.
Aseel al-Awadhi and Rula Dashti were declared the first 10 winners in the third district. Awadi got the second position, while Dashti was in the seventh place.
Awadhi is a professor of political philosophy at Kuwait University. She achieved her doctorate from the University of Texas in Austin.
“It is a victory for Kuwaiti women and a victory for Kuwaiti democracy,” Awadhi said after the announcement of results.
Dashti holds a doctorate in economics from Jon Hopkins University in the US. She is the Chairwoman of Kuwait Economic Society. She had been a leader in the struggle of Kuwaiti women to win their political rights.
Liberal activist Massuma al-Mubarak made history by being the first Kuwaiti woman minister in 2005. She was leading all candidates with a big margin in her district.
Kuwaiti women who constitute 54.3 percent of the 385,000 eligible voters were running in the elections for the third time, after being enfranchised in 2005. Sixteen female candidates were among the 210 hopefuls standing for the 50-seat parliament.
In the previous two elections no women were able to win seats. Kuwaitis had voted on Saturday to elect their second parliament within a year after Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah dissolved the outgoing parliament in March, following a stand-off between the MPs and the Parliament.
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