Activate law to protect women from ‘gender-based’ violence
KSHR condemns crimes against women
KUWAIT CITY, Sept 12: The Kuwait Society for Human Rights (KSHR) condemns, in the strongest terms, the two crimes that were committed against two women in Kuwait; as a Kuwaiti woman was killed by her brother and his son, while a domestic worker was tortured and killed by her sponsor, stated KSHR Secretary General Atty Atyab Al-Shatti Al-Shatti told the Arab Times on Saturday that the KSHR denounces these two violent incidents, one of which occurred on the basis of hate speech against foreign labor in Kuwait, while the other took place on the basis of gender-based violence.
“The Society believes that the continuing violence against domestic workers is a result of hate speech that has exacerbated after the Covid-19 pandemic, and it affects not only the sponsor who will ultimately receive a deterrent penalty, but also the reputation of Kuwait, whose majority of citizens depend on domestic workers. Also, the recurrence of incidents against these people may push labor-exporting countries to complicate the terms of their dealings with the country, and perhaps stop them altogether,” pointed out Al-Shatti.
Al-Shatti cited that gender-based violence is the most severe burden on women in Kuwait, as it constitutes an obstacle to their access to the equality society, and this is a dangerous indicator that threatens the human rights system, especially the right to life and human dignity.
“Despite the progress made in protecting women’s human rights, they still suffer from violence, which is considered a form of discrimination against women and a flagrant violation of human rights,” she stated.
Al-Shatti highlighted that in recent years, they have witnessed many campaigns against violence against women. These campaigns have evolved to the extent where it became necessary to move to a more effective step by providing a just and harmonious legal ground for the basic principles and standards of human rights, as stipulated in international covenants and conventions, the most important of which is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its affirmation of the principle of the impermissibility of discrimination and the principle of equal dignity and rights for all.
“While the Kuwait Society for Human Rights stresses the importance of adopting a law limiting speeches of violence directed against migrant labors in the country, it calls, at the same time, for activating laws that protect Kuwaiti women from genderbased violence,” called on Al-Shatti to the country’s lawmakers and other concerned Kuwaiti authorities.