Women make up 55.7% of workforce in public sector

GENEVA: Kuwait is keen on protecting and empowering women in accordance with Islamic teachings and international agreed upon accords and laws, said Kuwait’s permanent delegate to the UN and international organizations headquarters in Geneva, Ambassador Jamal AlGhunaim yesterday.

Submitting Kuwait’s fifth report to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) meeting, Ghunaim said that through the government’s involvement and protection, Kuwaiti women had done wonders in several sectors, helping to elevate the status of their country in return. Kuwait had issued several laws and legislations since independence that protected the rights of women, said the Kuwaiti diplomat, adding that several legislations have resulted in the establishment of entities geared towards protecting women such as the family court and other bodies.

He indicated that women represented 51 percent of the population in Kuwait, noting that they represented 55.7 percent of the workforce in the public sector and 51 percent of the employees in the private sector. These numbers are integral for Kuwait’s development vision 2035, affirmed Ambassador Ghunaim. Kuwaiti women were also encouraged to join the security force in Kuwait, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their male counterparts in protecting the country from any harm.

He indicated that women were given more chances to get further involved in the judiciary sector with plans to include additional female public prosecutors. Kuwait is eager to cooperate with various global and UN organizations to empower women locally, regionally, and worldwide, said Ghunaim, affirming that Kuwait was eager to fulfill its commitments to CEDAW, noting that Kuwaiti society followed Islamic and social values that provided a platform for women to excel. Ambassador Ghunaim affirmed that the State of Kuwait would continue efforts to fully implement the tenets of the CEDAW. — KUNA