Three GCC women’s rights activists have said that the ‘male-dominated society’ in the region can slow any progress of women’s participation in political life.
A former health minister of Kuwait, Dr Masoumah al-Mubarak, Bahraini politician Munira Fakhro, and Qatar’s Central Municipal Council member Shiekha al-Jufairi are the activists.
Participating in a discussion organised by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage on Wednesday, they talked about their ‘difficult personal experiences’ before and after being involved in the political process.
Dr Masoumah al-Mubarak, whose nomination caused a controversy in her country, said that although many Arab countries had amended their constitution to empower women, that ‘did little’ to speed up the entry of women to the parliament. “The theory that no women have succeeded in getting elected to the parliaments because of a lack of support from other women is not correct and the impression that politics is the headache of men is widely held in the Arab world,” she said.
Munira Fakhro believed that women in her country are victims of election irregularities, and massive nationalisation of non-Bahrainis.
She said the American administration dropped their plan of democracy and also observation of elections in the Arab world because of the victories of Islamic movements.
Shiekha al-Jufairi said that though she won the 2003 municipal elections because others quit the race, she won in 2007 by overwhelming majority beating a serious challenger in her constituency.
-- Gulf Times
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