Women voters were out in full force at yesterday's co-op board elections in Rawdha and Surra, and they voted overwhelmingly for the very people (i.e. Islamists) who insist on denying women their right to vote in Parliament! Isn't it ironic.... don't you think?
In the introduction to her interview with Oprah, Zain Al-Sabah admitted that our "democracy is kind of lopsided" and said that she didn't "mind at all taking it one step at a time".
I'm sorry, but I do mind! Aren't women sick of hearing this "one step at a time" nonsense? How many "steps" are required anyway, and at what pace? If Britain and the USA took hundreds of years to give women the vote, it's because those were different times back then. Nowadays, information is so readily available that there is simply no excuse for "not being ready" other than one's own ignorance. After all the years of progress in every aspect, if Kuwait is "not ready" for women's political rights - NOW in 2004!! - then it never will be.
So Zain, if you're reading this, and you're still OK with the women's vote coming "one step at a time".. at the rate it's going you may not be around to see it!
Dear Zaydoun
ReplyDeleteI am 100% for women rites. A question remains when it comes to Islamic extremist and those who live on the outskirts q8 married to 100?s of women with 1000?s of children, how would this tip the scale of fairness when it comes to voting. Mind you these people are already being used for voting within the city.
Eager to hear your point of views.
Apparently, the control they have over their women is not as tight as we imagine.. Otherwise, why would they pass up the opportunity to secure 1000s of more votes?
ReplyDeleteI would love to believe that buddy
ReplyDelete"... A little tooo ironic, yea I really do think"
ReplyDeleteAs for Zain (I love the name), the girl meant well.. she's just simply naive and deluded.
"Most native Kuwaitis enjoy extravagant lifestyles?mansions, servants and lots of shopping"?
Most Kuwaitis are on loans, your majesty.
Oprah should've done like cute Zain and picked a 'commoner' instead.
Mosan mosan, I hope you're not implying that that's enough reason to deny women their political rights.. or even justifying the thought.
Mosan & Shurouq.. one of the ironies in the whole women's rights debate is that the men who stand in the way of it ever happening are the same men who will gain the most votes from women, as evidenced by the Rawdha co-op elections yesterday.
ReplyDeleteBut maybe they have some very long-term fears, because if their women will do what they're told now in the next immediate elections; a few years later they might not.
Not @ all my dear shrouq as I stated I am 100% for women rites ..I feel that we need to address what I wrote abt.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion , that give them a stronger case , they do benfit from woman vote in university and co-op , but they don't want them on majlis-al-omah , some belive that forver they shouldn't vote , and some think the will vote , but shouldn't be rushed
ReplyDeleteare women even trying to get this right ? other than the 10-20 women who try to register in jan of each year , and maybe a car protess every year i don't see anything else , come on hit us with stikes ( yay more work for me ) a weekly protess at amir palace and amlis-al-omah , these thing aren't coming on a sliver plater
right for men to vote wasn't just handed to kuwaiti , they went on protess after protess , they had strong people talking for them , they orginzed , they talked with the goverment
woman have what ? bayder al salam , jameyat el eslah , nadi al fatah , al jamiya al thakafiya ..
are they doning anything ? no , and these orginzation with there strong memebrship ( well i don't see anyone else have the same numbers of women ) aren't talking about voteing rights .
thats the problem with most women here in kuwait ,
" hey i'm a woman , i'll cut this men line ! "
" hey i'm a woman , back off " ,
" hey i'm a woman , fill my gas tank in this selfservice staion " ...etc
women voting..hmmmm i wish it's that simple from my experience in the university (alwas6 aldemogra6i) we had 2 do a lot i don't we have the same spirit
ReplyDeleteYou want your rights? you fight for them....yes marching down the streets DOES make a difference here...We didnt get our parliment back till people gathered in masses during those glorious mondays and made ALOT of noise which was heard by the govt....
ReplyDeleteWomen rights wont come in a neat Chopard watch box..or in a VM shopping bag...
Pick and choose ...VM big sale day....or the parliment voting day...
Gucci will win...of course
sorry fatality but u r living in a diffrent world from my experience i saw women was beaten from her husband to take a loan i saw a mother was forced by her son to take a loan also..women in Q8 has rights but they r affraid to use them...AKLMECH TALEY
ReplyDeleteWomen who can stand for hours picking through the tons of clothes at VM...can surly stand for a couple of hours in front of the Parliment...
ReplyDeleteAfghani women...yeah the ones who wear the Bees control uniform...Voted yesterday to choose the new President....Those women didnt need to take a step or two..or wait till we try some co-op voting first
By the way The Mulsim brotherhood members - Nasser Al-Sane3 - here are now saying that that they will vote for women rights to vote...they got instructions from their Egyptian boss to do so
The govt is its really serious about this...they could get it done in one week...
if they gave women, a handbag for everyone that turned out to vote, and a pair of shoes of their choice for those who voted for the liberals, then we would have the greatest turn out in history.
ReplyDeletewomen feel free to burn your bras in the street, protest, and but DO SOMETHING.
Dear MADM & Mishu: don't b so silly we r not that shallow bes lel2saf 9erna goum makari thanx to..........
ReplyDeletenanonano: the majority of my post, except for the last two words, were meant in sarcasm. im sure MadM had the same intent.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the interview is as you described it. I did notice on the web page that some of the other women were practically bimbos with nothing to say.
ReplyDeleteOk I got a question for all..
ReplyDeleteDo you think its fair to compare the life style of a woman who happens to be a member of the royal family & the life styles of other normal women (A.K.A "commoners")??
I heard that at the end of the eppisode, Oprah asked the audionce, "So where would you prefer to live?" and they all shouted "Kuwait, Kuwait"!!
Is that a coincidence or is that just an expected result of a bias comparison??
Yeh right, we do need time, not to advance though.
ReplyDeleteFor 20 years I have participated in q8 society of Engineers' "mixed environment" of elections. I have even participated in the "mixed preparations"' And what happened last year?
We did participate in the elections all right, only in a "segregated environment". If we work together on sites, in the offices and under the most curtail circumstances, when it comes to election, we are segregated?
Ok this is one step backword.
Allah yahadeek zaydoun, Mako fayda.
I won't be surprised to witness the day when you see no sight of a woman in q8, only walking garbage bags.
I understand Rabab's concerns but I just want to say a quick thing.
ReplyDeleteSegregation increases productivity, that's why in Europe for example, people send their kids to poshy all girls or all boys schools, cos they teach you 1 very important thing.....
'la7geeen 3al wanasa, now shut up and study'
Is it possible at all that sex segregation is an approach by women for women?
Those segregated schools in Europe are private institutions available for those who believe in segregation, and not mandated by an over-religious government.
ReplyDeleteCiCi I agree, but isn't that what the Islamists market? a quest for higher "spiritual" standards?
ReplyDeleteWhat is Islam but a school of thought?
going back to Zain's appearance on oprah, I think the whole idea of her appearance is to show ppl that women have the basic civil liberties of women which is to marry and have a home, its also a gentle hint to our government to take that shift!
The interview will be shown tomorrow - Wedensday
ReplyDelete