US official applauds Kuwait's inclusion of women in military
US official applauds Kuwait's inclusion of women in military
Allowing Kuwaiti women to join military a milestone in gender equality: McGee
NEW YORK: US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Jacob McGee, praised Kuwait's recent steps to empower women through military service, calling the decision to allow women to join the armed forces a significant and commendable achievement. Speaking during a meeting with Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah, Kuwait's Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs, on the sidelines of the 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, McGee highlighted the policy shift as a strong reflection of Kuwait's commitment to advancing women's rights and gender equality.
His comments come as the Kuwaiti Army opens new pathways for female participation in military service. The General Staff recently announced two major initiatives. University-educated women can now apply to Ali Al-Sabah Military College, which offers them the chance to complete a one-year program at the Women's Police Institute before graduating with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Applications open from June 15 to July 3. Separately, starting May 4, female applicants with 11th-grade education or below were invited to join the military as volunteers, with rank assignments based on academic level, and a three-month non-residential training course.
These steps follow a broader national effort to revive and expand women's military roles, which have faced political and religious scrutiny in recent years. While women were first permitted to apply for combat roles in December 2021, the program was suspended pending religious guidance. A fatwa issued in January 2022 limited women's participation to medical, technical, and support roles, under strict conditions.
Despite early setbacks, senior officials have since renewed calls for inclusion. In January, First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah underscored women's proven capabilities in various military sectors, urging greater integration. During the meeting in New York—also attended by Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Tareq Al-Bannai—Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher reaffirmed Kuwait's broader commitment to human rights and combatting human trafficking, emphasizing the government's dedication to aligning with international human rights standards. — Agencies
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Kuwait Times
18 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
US official applauds Kuwait's inclusion of women in military
US official applauds Kuwait's inclusion of women in military Allowing Kuwaiti women to join military a milestone in gender equality: McGee NEW YORK: US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Jacob McGee, praised Kuwait's recent steps to empower women through military service, calling the decision to allow women to join the armed forces a significant and commendable achievement. Speaking during a meeting with Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah, Kuwait's Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs, on the sidelines of the 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, McGee highlighted the policy shift as a strong reflection of Kuwait's commitment to advancing women's rights and gender equality. His comments come as the Kuwaiti Army opens new pathways for female participation in military service. The General Staff recently announced two major initiatives. University-educated women can now apply to Ali Al-Sabah Military College, which offers them the chance to complete a one-year program at the Women's Police Institute before graduating with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Applications open from June 15 to July 3. Separately, starting May 4, female applicants with 11th-grade education or below were invited to join the military as volunteers, with rank assignments based on academic level, and a three-month non-residential training course. These steps follow a broader national effort to revive and expand women's military roles, which have faced political and religious scrutiny in recent years. While women were first permitted to apply for combat roles in December 2021, the program was suspended pending religious guidance. A fatwa issued in January 2022 limited women's participation to medical, technical, and support roles, under strict conditions. Despite early setbacks, senior officials have since renewed calls for inclusion. In January, First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah underscored women's proven capabilities in various military sectors, urging greater integration. During the meeting in New York—also attended by Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Tareq Al-Bannai—Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher reaffirmed Kuwait's broader commitment to human rights and combatting human trafficking, emphasizing the government's dedication to aligning with international human rights standards. — Agencies
Kuwait Times
18 hours ago
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Kuwait, UN Women discuss women's role in peace negotiations
NEW YORK: Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah meets with Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women. — KUNA NEW YORK: Kuwait's Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs, Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah, met Friday with Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, to discuss strengthening cooperation in promoting gender equality. Held on the sidelines of the 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the meeting emphasized the critical need for women's inclusion in peace negotiations and decision-making processes. Both sides underscored the urgent need for women to be active participants at the negotiating table, particularly in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and humanitarian aid distribution. Their remarks echoed recent appeals at the UN Security Council's open debate on women, peace and security, where global leaders, including UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, warned of the continued underrepresentation of women in peace processes. Between 1992 and 2019, women made up only 13 percent of negotiators and 6 percent of mediators in major peace efforts, despite evidence that their participation leads to more sustainable and inclusive agreements. Sheikha Jawaher reaffirmed Kuwait's commitment to international efforts that push for women's full, equal, and meaningful participation in political and public life. Bahous welcomed Kuwait's continued progress in women's empowerment, highlighting the country's advanced legislative reforms and describing Kuwait as a regional leader in promoting women's rights. — Agencies
Arab Times
a day ago
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Economists call for the acceleration of the ‘Northern Economic Zone' project
KUWAIT CITY, June 14: A general policy titled, 'Building a Special International Economic Zone', is listed on the official website 'New Kuwait' – specifically under the section for public policies and supporting projects, and directly beneath it is a single associated project – 'Developing the Northern Economic Zone.' According to the website, the project is scheduled for completion in 2026, yet the reported implementation rate remains at zero percent. The website defines the project as 'the establishment of a zone governed by special laws and regulations designed to attract investment, supported by an independent institutional framework that ensures the attraction of high value-added global investments, fosters innovation, and guarantees transparency in the management of financial resources.' Progress to date has been limited to activating the agreement between the responsible agency and the People's Republic of China to prepare the master plan for the Silk Road Project, and proposing legislation and procedures aimed at creating a business-friendly economic zone. No substantial advancement has been recorded since then, until the Cabinet meeting held recently, in which the implementation of the project was reportedly tackled. The newspaper interviewed economists to assess the importance of the Northern Economic Zone and the feasibility of completing it by 2026 -- particularly given the recent momentum of reform in Kuwait. Experts emphasized that the launching of the project will be beneficial for the national economy in multiple dimensions, including job creation for newly graduated Kuwaiti youths. Its strategic location near Mubarak Port and the Iraqi-Iranian border was also highlighted as a factor that could significantly boost the long-term success of the zone, likening it to a modern economic free zone. Economists indicated that the government, under its current reform-focused approach, has demonstrated a genuine commitment to diversifying national income sources and addressing future budget deficits by pursuing ambitious development initiatives such as this one. Analyst and economic expert Sultan Al-Jazzaf believes that the Northern Economic Zone will serve the economy in several areas; specifically in terms of giving a significant role to the local private sector, as well as attracting foreign capital, reducing unemployment rates, and helping the State diversify sources of income, especially with expectations of a large deficit in the general budget of the country this year due to the price of a barrel of oil falling below the $68 projected in the budget. Al-Jazzaf pointed out that this is especially true given that the government estimated the price of a barrel of oil in the current budget at around $68, and considering that its price recently reached $64; this matter highlights the need to rely on sources of support for the economy and the budget other than oil. He praised all the efforts currently being exerted by the government to diversify sources of income, including the Northern Economic Zone project. He stated that the advantages of the zone include its proximity to Mubarak Port, as well as its proximity to the Iraqi and Iranian markets. He said this location will stimulate economic and trade activity with neighboring countries. He is hoping that this project will be implemented as soon as possible, especially since the government has proven, through its proposal, that it is thinking from an economic perspective. 'Economic zones, in general, create competitive clusters with the potential to achieve sustainable growth; as they offer many diverse options for good investment opportunities, in addition to their role in trade exchange through the presence of constant activity,' he added. Economic and real estate expert Qais Al-Ghanim confirmed that the idea of establishing the zone, recently announced by the government, has been delayed significantly. 'It should have been implemented in 2003, given its extreme importance to Mubarak Port; taking into consideration it will be a free zone, serving both Kuwait and Iraq, allowing Iraqis to enter the region without a visa -- similar to the region located between Syria and Jordan,' he elaborated. He pointed out that the zone will serve the Kuwaiti private sector; thereby, increasing sales for factories and commercial companies, indicating the zone will generate many jobs for young Kuwaiti graduates. Economic expert and former head of Kuwait Contracting Companies Union Dr. Salah Bouresli said the economic zone is a 100 percent sound idea, as it will enhance private sector activity by attracting a wide variety of investments, which will add new value to the State budget through fees. 'Furthermore, it is a major infrastructure project. Its role will not be limited to the economic aspect alone, as it will also create other social benefits, including employing young Kuwaitis and strengthening economic relations between Kuwait and its neighboring countries.' At the same time, he expressed hope that the government will expand green spaces in the zone to include entertainment and service cities, which will stimulate the contracting market, the engineering sector, and many other private sector projects. He believes this zone will lead to a tremendous boom for the Kuwaiti banking sector, which will finance small and large projects established in the zone. 'This is in addition to its importance for logistics and warehousing services, especially since this economic zone will enjoy attractive investment laws, considering it will attract more global investments, not just local ones. This is especially true given that global economic cities offer a variety of investments; provide integrated service, logistics and residential facilities; create a competitive business environment; increase government-private partnership projects; and offer major facilities that the government will provide to investors.
