Kuwait reiterates commitment to UN programs on gender equality

Kuwait reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the UN Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in attaining gender equality, protecting women, strengthening their rights and eliminating all forms of discrimination against them. Nada Hamdan Al-Surayea, diplomatic attache, member of the social, humanitarian, and cultural committee, delivered Kuwait's assertion in a speech for the Kuwaiti Permanent Mission to the United Nations, on the sidelines of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly on Monday evening. Kuwait is keen to continue its financial and spiritual contributions to supporting activities of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), stemming from its belief in the importance of women's empowerment and advancement of their civil, political, economic, and social rights, and in appreciation to the role of UN Women in directing gender equality issues, protecting women's rights, and boosting international cooperation in this regard, Al-Surayea affirmed. On the national level, she noted that Kuwait had taken a decision to establish women's affairs committee at the Cabinet as a state-committee tasked with coordinating between its activities of organizing forums and symposiums on recognizing women's rights agreements, and civil society's institutions concerning women. Also, Kuwait has pushed towards strengthening Kuwaiti women's empowerment through supporting their political rights in candidacy and voting, as well as boosting their role in decision-making areas, Al-Surayea indicated, adding that some recent achievements were attained in Kuwait in the field of women's empowerment such as assigning 22 Kuwaiti women in the public prosecution department, and developing female detectives within the general investigation department, all which comes under the framework of seeking to attain the principle of social equality. On the international level, the Kuwaiti permanent mission explained that the State of Kuwait has ratified a set of international agreements and protocols, including elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, international covenant on civil and political rights, international covenant on economic social and cultural rights, United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols on trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling, specifically women, children, and people with disability.