Kuwaiti Women Take to the Polls
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
KUWAIT CITY – Women in this conservative oil-rich emirate voted in parliamentary elections yesterday for the first time, balloting that also inspired surprisingly vocal calls for reform and criticism of the ruling family.
The polls marked a new stage in the American ally’s tentative moves toward greater democracy – and not just because of the entry of women. The election brought unprecedented political activism in a country where the ruling family has strong influence over politics, with conservative Islamists joining liberals in demanding electoral reform and protesting corruption.
Women, who won the right to vote and run for office last year, went to separate polling stations from men, choosing among 249 candidates competing for 50 parliamentary seats. Twenty-seven candidates were women.
