Date : 17/05/2005
KUN0134 4 GEN 0355 KUWAIT /KUNA-MMO5
POL-LD BELGIUM-KUWAIT-WOMEN
Government, Parliament praise granting Kuwaiti women political rights
By Bashar Khraibet
BRUSSELS, May 17 (KUNA) -- The Government and Parliament of Belgium hailed
on Tuesday the Kuwaiti National Assemblys historic decision to grant women
full political rights, voting and nominating in legislative polls.
The spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry Rudy Huygelen said in an
exclusive statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the decision was an
important step forward in the march of democracy.
He said the decision should lead to more gender equality, adding that
Belgium hopes that Kuwait would serve as an example for other countries to
follow.
Belgium likes to congratulate the people of Kuwait on this important step
forward, Huygelen said, adding that Kuwait has always been a pioneer in the
region.
The Belgian Parliament labeled as "historic" the decision of the Kuwaiti
Parliament to grant women their political rights.
The commissioner for gender equality in the Belgian parliament Colette
Burgeon said in an exclusive statement to (KUNA) that the decision of the
parliament did not surprise her because she knew that the Kuwaiti constitution
is one of the "leading constitutions in the region in regards to gender
equality."
She said that from her reading of the Kuwaiti constitution, "what
manifested yesterday was in an implementation of articles of the constitution."
The parliament in Kuwait approved with a majority yesterday to grant women
political rights to enable them vote and run in parliamentary elections in
2007.
Burgeon said that the Belgian women have gone through the same experience
of their Kuwaiti counterpart, as it took more than 30 years for the Belgian
women to obtain their political rights after the males in Belgium were allowed
to vote.
Women in Belgium received their political rights in 1949.
She said that the matter should not be taken lightly adding that "it is
time now for the Kuwaiti women to show their true colors and be active in the
decision-making process." (end)
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