Introduction
A minority group is a term used to refer to a class of individuals who are distinguished from the social majority; that is, those people who hold the majority of the social power positions in a particular society. In this regard, a group is termed to be a minority due to the fact that it consists of individuals who lack privilege, power, and prestige in political, economic, or social domains, which the majority group enjoys. Kuwait has made a reaffirmation of its dedication to implementing the “United Nations Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action” in achieving gender equality, offering protection to women, and strengthening their rights, and eradicating any forms of discrimination that is directed towards them (Kuwait keen on achieving gender equality, 2014). Arguably, although women in Kuwait hold equal power positions with men, have the equal job and education opportunities, and enjoy equal rights, equality has not been achieved to maximum level attainable due to cultural influences.
Males and Females in Positions of Power in Kuwait
Based on history, most women in Kuwait were housewives, being in charge of taking care of their families while the males went on business (Tetreault, 2001). In the course of the last century, and especially in the last two decades, the women in Kuwait have made their skills to be better. In this regard, they have risen to important positions where they have served as educational administrators, ambassadors, and business managers. Moreover, they have served important roles in the international conferences. While in such positions, these women have participated side by side with men and exhibited the accomplishment of the Kuwait women in organizations. Additionally, the progress in social development and democratization in this country has led to the creation of opportunities for the women to play various organizational leadership roles in the formal groups at the national, neighborhood, and local levels (Al-Suwaihel, 2010). Even if the opportunity for the females to take part in the leadership positions has expanded, the attitudes towards them in such leadership positions are varied among the people of Kuwait, and this depends on the males leaders’ cultural background (Gibson, 2011).
Back in the year 1999, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Shabah, the Emir of Kuwait, took a great initiative to ensure the improvement of the political status of the women of Kuwait. For instance, he set up convincing agreements with the government entities encompassing Parliament, to close the gap between the various points of view. About four years after that, Emir took another step to issue a royal declaration that granted the women of Kuwait equal rights. In this case, the Kuwait women were given the right to vote and to run for the parliamentary seat in May 2005. Subsequently, the women participated in the general elections for the first time in 2006 (Al-Suwaihel, 2010). Conversely, men had been entitled to vote beginning from the year 1963. In the elections held in June, 2006, twenty-eight female candidates vied for the Parliamentary seats; however, none of them won. One year later, the first female to hold a position in government received the appointment as both Minister of Administrative Development and Minister of Planning (Al-Suwaihel, 2010). A year later, several women were appointed to the positions of Minister of Health, Minister of Education, and Minister of Communications (Al-Suwaihel, 2010). After several years of struggle, the increase of political participation by women in Kuwait has contributed to having a fresh vision for the females' role in the Kuwait Society. Apparently, arguments regarding female leadership and the effects of culture on such leadership are lasting.
Job and Education Opportunities for Men and Women in Kuwait
In the Arab nations, males have traditionally been the ones to provide for their families, while females have been homemakers. However, this belief is gradually changing while the attitudes of the outside world infuse the Arab society. Indeed, this process has been accelerated by the influx of the foreign females in this country. For quite some time, the Arab women have been working in the nursing and teaching professions; nevertheless, these women are increasingly being found in other fields as well including the services, banking, and finance sectors. In this regard, most of the expatriate female laborers are hired in the services sector as hotel administrators, lawyers, doctors, and in education, advertising, and public relations among other related fields. On the other hand, an increasing number of the local females are getting into the workforce in the country, and some of the employers consider them as being more hard working compared to their average local male counterparts, and they are always cheaper to hire. Moreover, women ascending to the power and influence positions seem to originate from the upper and middle-class families. Undeniably, for a female to ascend to a position of power or influence in the workplace, she needs to get great support from her family members, especially the male ones. Additionally, most of the expatriate workers, irrespective of whether eastern or western, are male. Typically, their wives have restraint in their passports that bans them from working. Moreover, it is important to note that women are safe in the place of work, within minimal sexual harassment due to the severe punishments for such offenses. However, the recent influx of prostitutes from Eastern Europe has brought down the level of esteem that foreign females used to enjoy (Katz, 2010).
In an amendment made on the labor law in 2010, the Kuwait government allowed females to start working night shifts at pharmacies, banks, hotels, and restaurants among other businesses. Indeed, this amendment supersedes a labor law, which prevented the women in Kuwait from going to work between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Nevertheless, the women are still restricted from those jobs described as taxing or physically dangerous including those in the petrochemical, manufacturing, and construction industries (Katz, 2010). In the course of the past few years, women have made great steps and dismantled barriers to political participation, employment, and education. For instance, in the current day, women account for about sixty percent of all university graduates in Kuwait. Moreover, they form over thirty percent of the workforce, the biggest proportion among the Arabian Peninsula states. Moreover, the Kuwait women are in high positions in both public and private sectors (Katz, 2010).
Equal Rights for Men and Women
The women, just like men, are entitled to possess and have complete and autonomous use of their property, assets, income, and land. The right of a woman to inheritance, in line with Islamic Sharia and as defined in the family law, specifies that a brother must receive double the share of his sister. Moreover, women in Kuwait are freely capable of entering into financial contracts and business. The women possess the right to dispose of assets and right of ownership, and the legal right to carry out the commercial and civil transactions accomplishes contracts and get involved in financial and commercial transactions. Apparently, it is not essential for a female to get the permission of a father or husband to exercise such rights. According to law, any Kuwait citizen who is over twenty-one years of age may perform any commercial transaction as long as he or she is not affected by a legal limitation such as having engaged in criminal activities in the past.
Further, all citizens of Kuwait, both males, and females, are guaranteed equal and free access to education, starting from the basic level up to the university level. Additionally, the students are offered equal opportunities to go and study in foreign countries. Nonetheless, the women of Kuwait, as mentioned earlier, comprise nearly sixty percent of the university-level students, and over fifty percent of the total number of students of “the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training” (Al-Mughn, 2005, p. 1).
The Kuwait women get equal pay for the same amount of work in the private and public sectors. Based on the labor laws, a female who carries out the same amount of work as a male must receive equal pay. In case a female has a feeling that she has been exposed to discrimination, she may take a step to file a grievance to the administrative court in a direct manner or she may file it to the “National Assembly’s Human Rights Committee” (Al-Mughn, 2005, p. 1).
Furthermore, it is also important to note that all working women have the right to be given a maternity leave for two months and receive full pay. In some cases, they may receive extra four months and fifty percent of the pay, as long as they give out a medical certificate indicating that their sicknesses resulted from the pregnancy. Notably, advocacy of issues such as the right to inheritance, employment, and education is strong. On the other hand, the groups of the conformist Islamists have as well been making demands that women should “return to the household” (Al-Mughn, 2005, p. 1). Starting from the year 1990, in partnership with the conservative tribalists, the Islamists have victoriously fought against all initiatives taken by parliament to expand the rights of women. In this regard, they have barred the passage a suffrage bill of women and allowing the women to become military officers. In the year 1996, the Islamists were successful in the passing of a bill, which obliges Kuwait post-secondary colleges and Universities to include building modifications to make sure there is gender segregation (Al-Mughn, 2005).
Conclusion
With no doubt, although women in Kuwait hold equal power positions with men, have the same job and education opportunities, and enjoy equal rights, equality has not been achieved to maximum level attainable due to cultural influences. From the discussion, it has been established that women in Kuwait share relatively equal rights with men. Interestingly, there are more women in higher education institutions of learning than men, and this is quite commendable. Moreover, women hold positions of power just like those held by men, and they also have equal rights in almost all aspects of life as men. However, due some cultural influences in the Arab world, women do not enjoy full equality as there are still some men who do not consider them as equals and prefer them to resume the traditional role of taking care of the family. Indeed, such people should change their attitude and accept that times have changed.
References
Al-Mughn, H. (2005). Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa - Kuwait. Retrieved May 7, 2016. From, http://www.refworld.org/docid/47387b6cc.html
Al-Suwaihel, O. E. (2010). Kuwaiti Female Leaders’ Perspectives: The Influence Of Culture On Their Leadership. Contemporary Issues In Education Research, 3(3), 29-39.
Gibson, C. B. (2011). An investigation of gender differences in leadership across four countries. Journal of International Business Studies, 26(2), 255-280.
Kuwait keen on achieving gender equality, female empowerment, (2014). Retrieved May 7, 2016. From, http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/kuwait-keen-on-achieving-gender-equality-female-empowerment-1.1398385
Tetreault, M. (2001). A state of two minds: State cultures, women, and politics in Kuwait. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 33 (2), 203.
