COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN CONSIDERS REPORT OF KUWAIT
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today considered the combined third and fourth periodic report of Kuwait on how that country is implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Introducing the report, Dharar Razzooqi, Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that women in Kuwait had received and enjoyed all their political rights since 2005, the date when women were granted the right to participate in political life and stand as candidates in elections. The proof of that was that in the 2009 elections women achieved major success, with four women candidates becoming Members of Parliament. Women’s independence of movement had been guaranteed by the Constitutional Code of 2009 which declared a 1962 ruling to be unconstitutional, and the right to housing and welfare was upheld by law for women of all statuses. Women enjoyed full equality in salaries, benefits and public assistance, including equal pay for equal work. Women’s issues were one of the main goals of the 2010 Kuwait Development Plan.
Questions and issues raised by Experts during the discussion included women’s inclusion in political life, women’s legal status especially with respect to nationality, marriage, healthcare and divorce, and also honour killings and domestic violence. Gender segregation in schools and universities was also raised, as was access to the Internet. Experts asked about maternal healthcare provisions for women and access to abortion, as well as the rights of migrant and domestic workers.
In concluding remarks Mr. Razzooqi thanked the Committee for the helpful and beneficial debate, which they would reflect upon. The Government of Kuwait would aim to improve any deficiencies.
In preliminary concluding remarks, Silvia Pimentel, Chairperson of the Committee, thanked the delegation for their insight into the situation of women’s rights in Kuwait, commended them for their efforts and encouraged the State party to take all necessary measures to address all of the recommendations of the Committee for the benefit of all women and girls in Kuwait.
The delegation of Kuwait included representatives from the Permanent Mission of Kuwait to Geneva, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, the Department of Women and Children’s Affairs, the Department of International Relations, the Central Bureau for Illegal Residents, the Public Financial and Administrative Prosecutor, the Committee on Women’s Affairs, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Kuwait University and the Ministry of Health.
When the Committee reconvenes on Friday, 14 October at 10 a.m., it is scheduled to begin its consideration of the combined initial, second and third periodic report of Côte d’Ivoire (CEDAW/C/CIV/1-3).
Report
The combined third and fourth periodic report of Kuwait (CEDAW/C/KWT/3-4) recalls that Kuwait has devoted great attention to the rights of Kuwaiti women, striving hard to meet the requirements on that score. Kuwait acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 1994. The Government of Kuwait includes several female ministers, and women hold important positions in various ministries. Women have won a number of seats in the Kuwaiti National Assembly, and there are four women Members of Parliament. Legislation passed to establish equality and non-discrimination includes the Labour Act which provides for equal pay for men and women; the Compulsory Education Act, which ensures education is both compulsory and free for both sexes; the Juveniles Act; and also the Social Insurance Act which ensures men and women are cared for.
Women working in both governmental and non-governmental sectors are entitled to two months of paid maternity leave, with further provision for balancing work and childcare. The Electoral Act of 2005 provides that women and men over the age of 21 have the right to vote, and that women have the right to stand as political candidates in elections. The Criminal Code provides for women in connection with the death sentence, stating that if a pregnant woman was sentenced to death and then gave birth to a live infant, her sentence would be commuted to life imprisonment. A minimum wage had been set for domestic workers, who are now entitled to annual paid leave, minimum living requirements and free medical care.
Kuwait has expanded and developed its healthcare services and headway has been made in empowering women, reducing the maternal mortality rate and improving mother’s health, as well as setting up more maternity clinics. The law provides that to be eligible for marriage a girl must be over 15 and a man over 17, and that the couple were proportionate in age, as well as both consenting. A woman has the right to divorce her husband under certain circumstances. Furthermore a woman has the right to custody of her children, and in her absence her family has a greater right to custody of the children than her husband’s family.
Presentation of the Report
DHARA RAZZOOQI, Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that the report reaffirmed Kuwait’s endeavours to improve the status of men and women and their rights in general. Kuwait would not allow any violation of women's rights out of respect for the religion of the State, which provided that justice, freedom and equality were the main pillars of society. Women in Kuwait enjoyed a legal personality from birth. Legislation was dedicated to upholding women's rights and it forbade any violation of those rights – the law was women’s best defender after the Lord Almighty. When Kuwait ratified the Convention they found the Convention to be fully in tune with the State’s aspirations, and had sought to implement the various articles of the Convention; it had become part of the national legislation.
Women in Kuwait had received and enjoyed all their political rights since 2005, the date when women were granted the right to participate in political life and stand as a candidate in elections. The proof of that was that in the 2009 elections women achieved major success, with four women candidates becoming Members of Parliament. Women’s independence of movement had been guaranteed by the Constitutional Code of 2009 which declared a 1962 ruling to be unconstitutional. That ruling had stated that a wife needed her husband’s permission to obtain a passport. Now a woman no longer needed permission to have a passport. The right to housing and welfare was also upheld by law for women of all statuses. Women enjoyed full equality in salaries, benefits and public assistance, including equal pay for equal work. Women’s issues were now one of the main goals of the 2010 Kuwait Development Plan.
Questions from Experts
An Expert commended Kuwait for its improvement of women’s lives in general, particularly in education and reducing maternal mortality, as well as the outstanding success of women working in the private sector. The Expert noted that Kuwait had voluntarily implemented recommendations from the Universal Period Review process to further better women’s lives. However the Expert voiced concern that there were still Kuwaiti laws such as the Nationality Law and the Personal Status Code that were not completely harmonized with the Convention.
An Expert asked about the large number of female migrant workers in Kuwait; what provisions were made for them, was Kuwait considering ratification of the instrument on Stateless Persons and what rights did migrant workers have?
Did the State intend to do anything about the absence of sanctions for discrimination against women in a court of law, which would be necessary to fully implement the Convention? Was there a definition of discrimination in the national legislation?
Were women able to be appointed to the judiciary, as prosecutors and judges? Furthermore the judiciary needed extensive training on the obligations of international human rights conventions.
An Expert asked about women's right to inheritance, and their status as a widow. What was the status of Kuwaiti women passing their nationality onto their children?
An Expert noted that the report said that Kuwaiti women were not allowed to be political leaders as Islamic law did not allow women to rule. The Expert disputed that argument, noted that Islamic countries including Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia had had women rulers and said she disagreed that women rulers were forbidden by the Koran.
Response by the Delegation
Responding to these questions and comments, the delegation said women now had the possibility of conferring their nationality onto their children.
Kuwait had not ratified the Convention on Migrant Workers. Migrant workers were not an issue in Kuwait, rather it was contractual labourers. The only exception was the Palestinians, who were living in Kuwait because they had no country to go to. Non-Kuwaitis were entitled to many of the benefits Kuwaiti citizens had, including free healthcare and education.
The institute of judicial studies in Kuwait organized workshops examining human rights in the light of existing national documents, and everyone working in the legal area – from judges to Home Office staff - attended those training sessions. Kuwait had committed to the Human Rights Council to create a national human rights institution. The Ministry of Justice had prepared a draft bill on creating such an institution in line with the Paris Principles.
Four hundred years ago Kuwaiti people had chosen their system of Government. In 1962 a social contract was made with the people of Kuwait, and it was agreed in the Constitution that the head of State, the leaders, had to be male. Women heads of State were fully respected by Kuwait, as was the system they were chosen by. Different Muslims and Islamic States had different interpretations of the Koran. It was up to an individual to take whatever interpretation they wanted.
Questions by Experts
An Expert asked the delegation about the implementation of temporary special measures?
Another Expert said it was good to see so many Kuwaiti women holding different posts in Government, but there were issues with the respect shown to women’s role in society generally. It was important that both the Parliament and the media read the CEDAW concluding observations and recommendations.
The role of the media and society in preventing discrimination against women's rights needed to be developed.
The report did not contain much information on violence against women, although the Convention specified that States parties report on violence against women. Information from alternative sources showed that Kuwaiti law did not specifically forbid domestic violence or violence against women. Prosecution for domestic violence was uncommon, due to a desire in society to solve issues of domestic violence within the family.
Honour killings were a matter of concern. There were some cases, especially in rural areas, which were not met with adequate sanctions. The law justified those killings in a sense by allowing a lower sentence for murderers when the killings had been conducted in anger. The murder of a woman by a father, brother, husband or son was seen as a lesser crime with mitigating factors – the sanction for so-called ‘honour killings’ could be just a fine, or a short (less than three years) prison term. For example a man who surprises his wife or daughter engaging in a sexual act, and who then kills his wife or daughter, could be punished just with a fine of 3,000 dinars. The end result could be impunity with respect to men and was not in line with the Convention.
Domestic violence was one of the most prevalent and silent forms of violence that often went without punishment. The Ministry of the Interior of Kuwait recently revealed that over one third of Kuwaiti women suffered from domestic violence. Was the Government conducting proper research to assess the magnitude and forms of the violence?
Was the adoption of a law to deal with violence against women envisaged? Women were prevented from seeking protection from violence. Could the delegation clarify whether marital rape was a criminal act?
Response by the Delegation
Responding to these questions and comments, the delegation said there were no temporary special measures in place in Kuwait.
Decades ago there were rules regarding women and men’s social roles. Policy has changed those stereotypes through education, houses of faith and social awareness. There were societal stereotypes that believed a woman’s place was in the house, but as education improved those stereotypes were fading. Now women participated in all sections of life in Kuwait. In higher education 53 per cent of students were women. In all fields of education the percentage of women students exceeded that of men. More women were studying medicine and engineering in the universities of Kuwait than men. There were more job opportunities in both public and private sectors. Women were leaders in investment, corporate and banking sectors.
Violence against women was considered a crime, but it was true that there was no definition of domestic violence. The Government was wondering if it could use the Convention in the courts in cases of violence against women.
Honour killings had been debated. Perhaps they occurred in very low numbers but they were not a tendency in Kuwait. However, those killings were criminalized under the Criminal Code and the perpetrators would be penalized.
Martial rape was criminalized under the Kuwait Criminal Code, which penalised any aggression against a women’s life or safety. The Code imposed a very high penalty against any husband who attacked or raped his wife.
Victims of acts of violence were protected by the Social Police who provided social and physical protection, and sought to solve those disputes via mediation. All physicians and doctors were required to report acts of violence against children up to the age of 17. Legal guarantees were set out by the judiciary to protect women bringing cases of domestic violence. The Ministry of Social Affairs had protection shelters for juveniles, that were also open to family members suffering from family violence. Juveniles could remain in those shelters until the age of 21, and family members could stay until they felt ready to return to their families.
There were hotlines for women victims of violence that were run by the Government Ministries of Religious Affairs, Justice and of Social Affairs. Non-governmental organizations were also working on issues of violence against women, and had shared best practices with countries such as Dubai, which had a shelter for women. There was awareness-raising at the universities and free counselling was provided.
The Government had started a process of opening a specialized family court, which it was hoped would solve many of the problems of violence against women. The court was intended to be opened within the next year.
The Attorney General’s office was holding an investigation and a debate on having women in the judiciary. Last week the Appeal Court said there was no objection to women holding judicial positions. It was a political debate as much as a legal debate.
A delegate said that Kuwait was a Muslim and a conservative society. Whenever the police heard about family violence they made every effort to bring the husband and wife together to reach a compromise. However, if the victim insisted, the case could go to court.
Questions by Experts
What legislation and national act plan were in place to address the trafficking of women? How were other stakeholders, including Ministries, law enforcement officials and non-governmental organizations, included in that action plan to combat trafficking of women?
Was there a shelter available for victims of trafficking? Were all female prisoners looked after by female prison guards? Were their rights protected?
What steps had been taken to raise awareness on the issue of trafficking among the general public, law-enforcement officials and the judiciary?
Response by the Delegation
Kuwait was doing a lot to combat trafficking. The Government was planning a shelter to provide services to victims. When trafficking was identified, officials of relevant Governments were invited to cooperate on finding means to solve the problem, for example the Labour Attachés of the Embassies of Bangladesh and India. Non-governmental organizations and the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights were invited to advise the Government and provide suggestions for solutions.
Article 158 criminalized human trafficking in Kuwait. There were high fines in place and traffickers were punished in the courts. The Ministry of Justice intended to run a specific project to stop human trafficking, giving life imprisonment to perpetrators, and compensation and services including health and social care for victims.
Concerning exploiting domestic workers, whether those people were beaten, raped or used as slaves, it was considered a significant crime punished by imprisonment.
There were female guards in prisons, and permanent supervising and monitoring of all movement within the prison, including cameras in women’s cells.
Questions by Experts
An Expert expressed her satisfaction at the withdrawal of Kuwait’s reservation to clause 7(a) of the Convention (on women’s right to vote in and be eligible to stand in political elections on equal terms with men), which was a landmark achievement for women worldwide, as well as Kuwaiti women.
An Expert noted that there was one woman member out of 15 in the Cabinet of Kuwait (she was Minister of Commerce), and in Parliament four out of 50 Members of Parliament were women. What provisions were made for more women members of cabinet and parliament?
Alternative sources said that the High Council of the Judiciary refused to appoint women judges or prosecutors. Could the delegation comment on that, given there was no legal barrier to women working in those positions?
In diplomacy there were two female Heads of Missions out of the 82 Missions of Kuwait. That was very low representation: what measures were being made to increase that?
An Expert noted that women were more represented in the Kuwaiti press, and journalism was very important to publicize the Convention and women's rights. There was no obstacle under Muslim law to prevent women exercising equal rights to men.
Was there any draft currently before the Parliamentary Committee on Women’s Affairs?
Response by the Delegation
The head of the delegation said he fully agreed with the Experts, and assured them there was nothing in Islam forbidding equality for women. However, sometimes old and long-established laws did, until international legislation updated them, and it took time to update legislation and bring about equality for men and women.
Four women out of 50 parliamentarians was a high number! The candidate with the highest number of votes of any parliamentarian was a woman. The candidate with the second highest number of votes was another woman. No longer were women in politics a taboo. Yes, there were only four women but they had strong support from the electorate.
There were women ambassadors to Brussels and Chile. There were 10 women diplomats in Kuwaiti Embassies around the world, and in time there would be more.
There was no law or legal obstacle in Kuwait to prevent women from assuming roles in the judiciary.
When Iraq invaded Kuwait they set around 900 oil wells on fire, and around six million barrels worth of oil was burning per day. It was an inferno. A team led by a woman Kuwaiti engineer was responsible for putting out those fires. Kuwait was very keen on training women in the field of engineering.
There were 71 non-governmental organizations in Kuwait, of which 12 were very active women’s societies, who lobbied for women's rights and formed part of Governmental committees. They had a big role in promoting positive policies for women, and were part of professional societies and unions.
There were no quotas for women, but when necessary the Government appointed women to positions. Women did not want to be given positions through quotas, they wanted to fight elections. The Municipal Council employed women recruited both by election and appointment.
Questions by Experts
A Committee Expert raised two sensitive issues: the right of a woman to transmit her nationality to her child and the statelessness of women. A woman could only transmit her nationality to her child in cases of divorce from a non-Kuwaiti man, and even then it was not automatic.
Stateless women could result in stateless children, and thus the situation could persevere across generations. There were currently 600,000 Bedouns born in Kuwait. Was the new 2010 directive to give Kuwaiti nationality to the Bedoun children disseminated to concerned women?
Response by the Delegation
Women deputies in the National Assembly had launched a debate on both issues of nationality and statelessness of women. It was difficult to envisage the shape of the law that would result from that debate.
Women could now confer their nationality upon their children. However nationality had to be given in regard to sovereignty. From March to October 2011 there had been 859 birth declarations from women illegally present in Kuwait. Women who lived illegally in Kuwait had rights and entitlements that had been clearly recognized. It was forbidden to have duel nationality in Kuwait. There were a lot of benefits of being Kuwaiti – no income tax, free healthcare, free education etc. A woman who married a Kuwaiti had to wait five years before she was eligible for Kuwaiti nationality.
Questions by Experts
The status of women in Kuwaiti society was noticed with appreciation, especially in the fields of politics and education, an Expert noted. Human rights education on the curriculum of schools, as well as the curbing of illiteracy and the higher enrolment numbers of women in university was also noted. However did the children of migrant workers have the same access to education as Kuwaiti girls?
Furthermore could there be clarification on the segregation of sexes in public schools and university? Public information stated that girls and boys could not attend the same school or university departments, and that was legislated by a 1996 law. Prior to 1996 segregation of genders within university departments did not exist.
Did young married women have access to public school? What access did girls have to computers, the Internet and modern technology in general? Were they restricted in comparison to boys’ access? A study on the impact of women and girls accessing the Internet on marital harmony showed that girls tried to replicate the behaviour of boys after accessing the Internet. Could the delegation give more information on that study?
Response by the Delegation
The law allowed the children of migrant workers to study in special schools, and 199,000 such pupils (girls and boys) attended Government schools. Adult education classes were available for married women.
Use of the Internet was necessary for many subjects, and special schools applied e-Education in many classes. A census was currently being conducted, and the Internet was being used for that. The Internet was used like in any other progressive society, and did not have a negative impact.
Part of education was to provide girls with sound moral values. Government schools were segregated but private schools were not. If you did not want your child to be in a segregated school you could send them to a private school.
Segregation was implemented in the university because the law was passed in parliament, against the wishes of faculty members. There was a movement lobbying to change the segregation law. Legislation had been passed for married women who wished to complete their education at university and study abroad, so that their husband could accompany them without losing his job back in Kuwait. Gender and women studies had been introduced at the university, and were broadly part of the curriculum across other subjects. The plan was to remove stereotypes and educate the youth on gender equality.
Questions from Experts
An Expert noted that the new Labour Code had brought progress in the sector of work for women, especially the commercial sector, but there were still no provisions prohibiting direct and indirect discrimination of women in the workplace. Explicit legislation on the principle of equal pay for men and women was not specifically provided for in the Labour Code, and Kuwait had not ratified the International Labour Organization convention on that subject.
Domestic workers, termed contract workers by the Kuwaiti women, were vulnerable to sexual abuse and harassment and struggled to find access to justice. How was the legal position of those domestic workers, many of whom were not Kuwaiti, going to be improved?
Were crèches available for childcare, as the distribution of domestic tasks affected women in the labour market: they needed to be able to compete under the same circumstances as men?
Response from the Delegation
Responding to these questions and comments, the delegation said there was legislation prohibiting an employer of ending employment because of gender, race or religion. Women workers were entitled to the same benefits as men. The law specified equal pay for equal work.
If an employer had over 200 employees they were obliged to provide a crèche. Women were entitled to maternity leave and time off for breastfeeding. If a woman was subject to harassment at work she was protected by law. Paid maternity leave was provided for 70 days.
Foreign labourers did not come to Kuwait to reside, but just to complete a job, after which they returned home, so there was no need to cover them with social security.
Domestic workers were free to complain to the competent authorities. There was specific legislation on hiring and employing domestic workers, and there was a Governmental Unit to accommodate complaints by and look after foreign domestic workers. A bill had been tabled on the rights of domestic staff, but it was not as ambitious as it could have been wished. Legislation was intended to be in-line with the International Labour Organization Convention on domestic workers; the ratification of that Convention required further study by Kuwaiti authorities.
Questions by Experts
What health services were available to persons who were not Kuwaiti but lived in Kuwait? What information was available on HIV/AIDS? The World Health Organization had no data for Kuwait, but it was not the case that Kuwait had no cases of HIV/AIDS?
When abortion was allowed, if the mother’s life was at risk or if there was deformation of the foetus, was there an administrative standard or norm to regulate doctor’s conduct on deciding if the situation was serious enough to provide an abortion? If a woman was pregnant as the result of rape or incest, was it true that abortion was not allowed?
What provision ensured women with disabilities had adequate access to healthcare? There have been reports of forced sterilization or abortion of women with disabilities – was there a law to protect those women?
Could the delegation provide more information on the involuntary admission of women to psychiatric hospitals in cases of misbehaving in public or breaking societal norms (i.e. running away from home or getting married without permission)? Women were only let out of psychiatric hospitals when the man who put them there came to let them out. What legislation protected those women?
If a woman needed major surgery a husband, father or son had to give permission. There had been cases of women waiting for serious surgery, for instance for cancer, and had to wait for their husband to come back to Kuwait from overseas to give his permission. What happened if a woman did not have a male to decide for her? Would the Government consider removing that law and letting women make their own decision on their healthcare?
Response from the Delegation
Healthcare was either free or partially free for all citizens. Foreigners come into Kuwait with their own contracts so healthcare would be provided or covered by their employers.
The infant mortality and maternal mortality rates had decreased to low levels, and health centres were widely available. Drinking water of course was available at everybody’s residence. Healthcare procedures such as vaccinations were provided for children. There was awareness of maternal healthcare and preventative medicine, with non-governmental organizations taking part, for example free mammograms to reduce breast cancer rates.
Non-Kuwaiti nationals had a medical check-up on arrival that included screening for any specific diseases. Anyone coming to Kuwait was tested for HIV/AIDS and those who were positive were sent back to their country.
HIV/AIDS rates were low; 160 persons had been afflicted by the virus, 41 women and 120 men, of which 30 benefitted from treatment. A new media and school campaign to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS had just been launched.
There was a law for women to have a ‘prenuptial medical examination’ prior to marriage, which was compulsory for the marriage to go ahead. That examination was to limit any disease or genetic illness that could happen in the future. Once a woman had been treated for any disease she had, she could then enter into the marriage. Women did need permission of a husband or father for operations, but no permission was required in an emergency situation, as that affected the health of a woman.
The Government wanted to guarantee the life of a newborn and abortion was only practised when there was a medical need. The 2010 law limited the use of IVF and instructions had been passed to maternity centres because of the negative impact that could have on mothers and to limit cases of deformity. The use of treatment that could lead to multiple pregnancies was restricted. Mothers were encouraged to breastfeed their children.
There were no sanctions for those who had an abortion if the abortion had been vital to save the life of the woman. However the healthy foetuses of women with disabilities could be aborted, if five specialists agreed.
There was no compulsory sterilization in Kuwait, and no exploitation of women with disabilities in that regard. Those persons received special services to help them access healthcare whatever their disability. Only one case of sterilization had happened to a person with a mental disability. There was a Down’s Syndrome support organization, and also one for persons with autism. Women were only admitted into psychiatric hospitals if they were suffering from a serious psychiatric illness. The person who admitted her was the same person who would take her out, but she would not be taken advantage of and was medically assessed. The woman would not be left in the hospital, especially as there was a shortage of beds.
Doctors reported incidents of domestic violence to the police and in several cases action had been taken. Plans were in place to train medical staff on how to deal with cases of domestic violence.
Questions from Experts
Could the delegation explain whether or not Kuwait provided women with equal status in law to men? How did Sharia law in Kuwait work with civil law? Also would the age of marriage for girls be raised from 15 to 18?
Was polygamy practised without constraint in Kuwait, and could it be terms for divorce? If a woman decided she did not want to have children, or wanted to not have any more children, her husband could take another wife and/or divorce her?
If a man murdered his wife for the crime of adultery the man would get a six or seven months jail sentence, up to a maximum of three years. If a woman did the same thing and murdered her husband for adultery, she would be executed. That law totally contradicted the Convention and every other international law.
Regarding the obligatory examination of women before marriage, did men have the same examination? Furthermore, did it also include a gynaecological examination of women, otherwise known as a ‘virginity check’?
Response from the Delegation
On women and men’s equality before the law, the delegation said the woman had equal rights to men, those rights were granted by God. Islam had provisions which addressed the issue of girls marrying at 15.
The Government was working on a Penal Code that provided sanctions. If women believed het husband had another lover or if a man thought his wife was sleeping with another man, then that came under the Penal Code. A crime of honour was very rare. Any premeditated murder received life imprisonment and the penalty was equal for all.
Islamic Sharia had principles which could not be changed over time, including on inheritance, marriage and divorce. On counts of polygamy, both spouses could request divorce from the courts. If no harm had been done, the court would resolve the financial issues.
The medical examination did not focus on the virginity of the woman, but checked she had no illness or disease, and the same went for the husband. Both individuals were free to marry or not, although the examination was compulsory. If marriage took place without a girl’s consent she could submit her case to a judge who would decide whether she could request a divorce.
Concluding Remarks
DHARAR RAZZOOQI, Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations Office at Geneva, thanked the Committee for the helpful and beneficial debate, which they would reflect upon. The Government of Kuwait would aim to improve any deficiencies.
SILVIA PIMENTEL, Chairperson of the Committee, thanked the delegation for their insight into the situation of women’s rights in Kuwait, commended them for their efforts and encouraged the State party to take all necessary measures to address all of the recommendations of the Committee for the benefit of all women and girls in Kuwait.
For use of the information media; not an official record
CEDAW11/023E