Mark Pack

Last week Kuwait’s 50-seat Parliament was up for election and, for the first time, the victors include women. Four of the sixteen female candidates who stood were elected, including Massouma al-Mubarak who has been the path-breaking female politician of Kuwait.

Back in 2005, when women were given the right to vote and to stand for Parliament, she didn’t become a Member of Parliament herself, but did become the first female Cabinet minister. She served in the Cabinet in more than one role, resigned as health minister after a hospital fire in 2005 killed two people, accepting ‘political and moral’ responsibility even though the tragedy was not the direct result of any actions she had taken or failed to take.

Overall, Islamists lost seats with the new Parliament having a more liberal make-up.