Rock the vote

Several times I was tempted not to go out and vote (tempted but didn't give in). Once it was out of pure laziness; another time, I had my doubts about whether or not casting my vote would be the right thing to do when the notion of every candidate on the list becoming President made me cringe.

What always persuaded me to go out and participate on election day was the thought of women from the old days who fought for the right to vote. I even saw a tv special that showed people in Africa who actually travelled for days -- on foot -- to reach the nearest polling station, just so they could have a say in who their country's leaders would be.

The women of Kuwait participated in elections for the first time early this week. I'm quite surprised that it wasn't all over the news (or did I just miss it?). Needless to say, it is cause for much celebration.





Kuwaiti women vote for first time

Women are among candidates running for municipal council seat less than year after winning full political rights.

By Omar Hasan - KUWAIT CITY

Kuwaiti women began casting votes for the first time Tuesday in a by-election for a municipal council seat, less than a year after winning full political rights in the oil-rich Gulf state.

Two women are among eight candidates running for the seat in the district of Salmiya, about 15 kilometres (10 miles) southeast of the capital.

"It's certainly a historical moment for me. I felt very happy while casting my vote," Afaf Abdullah, a pharmacist, said outside a polling station.

"I had participated in cooperative society elections before, but the feeling here is totally different. I feel that justice has been achieved for Kuwaiti women."

Full story at Middle East Online