‘Some laws must be amended ... those concerning women’

Panel okays final draft of Human Rights Commission Bill

KUWAIT CITY, April 6: Some laws must be amended, especially those concerning women, to eliminate discrimination, says Chairman of the parliamentary Women and Family Affairs Committee MP Saleh Ashour.

In a press statement after the committee meeting with representatives of various women organizations and activists involved in women’s issues, Ashour disclosed the meeting was aimed at laying down a vision to address the problems of Kuwaiti women like housing and citizenship issues.

He asserted discrimination is evident in certain laws, particularly those concerning women; hence, the need to amend these laws in the interest of women and to get rid of discrimination. He said those who attended the meeting stressed the need for political and media pressure in dealing with women’s issues to achieve the desired results. He added they also pointed out that some MPs neglected women’s issues upon reaching the Parliament. He went on to say the committee has agreed on inviting the ministers of Housing Affairs and Interior to its upcoming meetings to discuss the problems of women.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Committee approved the final draft of the Human Rights Commission Bill which will be forwarded to the government for comments.

Committee Chairman MP Abdul-Hameed Dashti revealed the bill, which consists of 14 articles, stipulates the establishment of an independent national body for human rights under the Cabinet. He explained the body’s works and duties will be carried out by the board of directors with 11 members from the ministries of Justice, Interior, Social Affairs and Labor; as well as the Fatwa and Legislative Department. He said the bill stipulates that the chairman and his deputy should be dedicated to their work and the members must enjoy immunity guaranteed by international agreements. It also states issuance of an Amiri decree on the formation of the board of directors endorsed by the Cabinet. The board members should be Kuwaitis who will be elected according to the international criteria.

In another development, Dashti confirmed the committee will invite Head of the Central System for Remedying the Status of Illegal Residents (CSRSIR) Saleh Al-Fadalah to its meeting on April 20 to discuss with him the agency’s last decision on human rights and the naturalization of Bedouns.

On another issue, the Interior and Defense Committee met Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammed AlKhalid to tackle the Surveillance Cameras Bill.

Answers

Committee Chairman MP Abdullah Al-Mayouf said the minister explained the idea behind the bill and responded to the panel’s queries in this regard. He added the committee will discuss the bill again next week after receiving adequate answers to its queries.

Commenting on the bill, Committee member MP Sultan Al-Shimiri asserted the proposed installation of surveillance cameras in public facilities and places is very important due to its advantages. He disclosed that during the meeting the interior minister expounded on the importance and positive aspects of the bill, as well as the related experiments of other countries. He added the minister also assured that the bill takes into account the privacy of the Kuwaiti society, as the cameras will be installed only in public places and vital facilities to prevent crimes.

Moreover, Al-Mayouf affirmed that the panel approved the proposed amendments to the Conscription Bill, such as allowing the conscripts to transfer to the Army during their service period. He said the revised version of the bill includes paragraph b in Article 11 stipulating that some categories shall be exempted from conscription provided the interior minister submits a request in this regard to the Cabinet.