Gender and Politics in Kuwait

The role of women in politics in the Gulf is a much-debated and often little-understood subject in the West. In Gender and Politics in Kuwait the author sheds new light on the struggle of Kuwaiti women for political participation, examining both the positions women hold in society and politics, and the discourses surrounding feminism and civil rights. He charts the history of women and their contribution to the Kuwaiti state, from independence and the writing of the constitution in the 1960s, through the Iraqi occupation in 1990, to the struggle for the right to vote and stand for election in the twenty-first century. Drawing on the experiences of women in a range of roles in Kuwaiti society, including government, education, employment, civil society and the media, this is a comprehensive examination of gender politics and its impact in the Middle East.

Meshal Al-Sabah is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies, King's College London. Educated at The University of Chicago, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, he holds a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies from King's College London.

Introduction
Chapter 1: 1991: A Turning Point in Kuwaiti Politics
Chapter 2: Going Back to Move Forward: Internal Debate over the Consequences of the 1990 Crisis
Chapter 3: Indirect Change: The Status of Women in the Non-Political Arena
Chapter 4: The Debate within the Ruling Family
Chapter 5: Women in Politics: The National and International Debate
Chapter 6: Sponsors and Factions of the Kuwaiti Women's Rights Movement
Chapter 7: The Future: Challenges, Expectations and Opportunities
Chapter 8: The Long Road to Success: Women in Kuwaiti Politics, 1991-2009
Conclusion