[Reader-list] (KUWAIT) "Female MPs celebrate success with smiles, tears"

[Kshmendra Kaul]

" "Mark this day! We entered the Parliament by winning elections and not through a quota system" she said
 
 
"Female MPs celebrate success with smiles, tears"
Published Date: May 21, 2009
By Nisreen Zahreddine, Staff writer 
 
KUWAIT: Young and middle-aged women gathered at the Women's Cultural and Social Society headquarters on Tuesday evening. It was time to celebrate Kuwaiti women's historic achievement, with four women elected to represent Kuwaiti citizens in the National Assembly.

Women gathered at the hall, looking visibly excited. A few men could be spotted among the crowd. Many of the women present were veterans in the women's rights movement and continued to fight for equality in the conservative Arab society.
MP Aseel Al-Awadhi was the first to enter the hall, and greeted women who showered their love and support and congratulated her on her success at the electoral poll. Women will now practice their constitutional rights as productive members of society.

When it was MP Maasouma Al-Mubarak's turn to enter the hall, she was surrounded by a group of media personnel. She reiterated that no women's bloc will be formed in the Assembly and that MPs were ready to cooperate with their male colleagues without any reservation. She expressed hope that more women enter active politics. Al-Mubarak affirmed that she would participate in the government and work toward serving her people.

Zikra Al-Rasheedi, who contested from the fourth constituency who finished 15th in the poll race expressed support to her fellow successful candidates. She said that she was more than satisfied with the results she achieved. "In such a tribal constituency, I cannot expect anything more than this. I am happy and I thank God that we have changed the equation and broken tradition." Although Rasheedi lost out narrowly in this year's election battle, failing to win a seat, her picture was hung alongside her pee
rs.

MP Salwa Al-Jassar made a quiet entry into the hall. Speaking to the media she said that 16th May should be marked as Women's National Day. "Mark this day! We entered the Parliament by winning elections and not through a quota system" she said. The last to attend was MP Rola Dashti, who waved at attendees and joined in with the celebrations.

The four MPs them stepped onto the specially decorated stage along with candidate Zikra Al-Rasheedi and Ministers Nouriya Al-Sabeeh and Moudhi Al-Homoud then posed for photographs. The women celebrated their epoch- making accomplishment with smiles and tears of joy, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Kuwait's democracy. 
 
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