54 judges, including 8 women, took the oath before the Chairman of Kuwait’s Supreme Judicial Council and the Cassation Court and President of the Constitutional Court Yousef Al-Mutawa, yesterday, on the occasion of their appointment as judges of the Cassation Court in the presence of Counselor Adel Majed Bursli, President of the Supreme Court. These are the first women to be sworn in as judges in Kuwait as part of Kuwait’s initiative to expands women’s rights.
Al-Mutawa’a said, in his address to the new judges, he stressed the responsibility they bear and the duties that must be adhered to, and urged them to strive for justice and the interests of litigants. In July, Attorney General Dirar Al-Asousi had approved the promotion of the eight female prosecutors to the rank of judge.
On the occasion that the group included 8 female judges, who became the first female judges in the history of Kuwait, Mutawa stressed that the experience of female judges requires an evaluation after a period of time, so that it can be expanded, pointing to the role of the new female judges in making this experiment a success.
The eight women judges are: Fatima Al-Sagheer, Fatima Al-Kandari, Sanabel Al-Houti, Fatima Al-Farhan, Bashair Shah, Bashaer Al-Rakdan, Rawaat Al-Tabtabae, and Lulwa Al-Ghanim.
While Kuwaiti society is one of the most open-minded in the Gulf, with women in top government positions, there are some tight restrictions.
Lulwa Saleh Al-Mulla, head of the Kuwaiti Women’s Cultural and Social Society, said her organization had long fought for the right of women to serve as judges.
“These appointments are heartwarming, and we believe that we are taking steps forward towards the ranks of advanced countries,” she told AFP.
Women in Kuwait were granted the right to vote and run for political office in 2005. Four years later, the first female lawmakers were elected.