Prosperous and possessed of a spirited parliament, Kuwait has prided itself on being a standard setter among the Arab monarchies on the Persian Gulf. With respect to women's rights, however, today Kuwait ranks just above Saudi Arabia.
In May, several Islamic Sunni groups and parliamentarians threatened to work against a draft bill, approved by the Kuwaiti government, which provides women with the right to vote and nominate in legislative elections.
Kuwait's Cabinet approved a draft law allowing women to vote and run in parliamentary polls, moving them a step closer to full political rights they have sought for decades in the conservative Gulf Arab state.
