US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT4961

UNCLAS KUWAIT 004961 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ACTION FOR IIP/G/NEA-SA TERRY SCOTT 
 
INFO NEA/PI ALINA ROMANOWSKI; NEA/RA- CATHERINE BOURGEOIS, 
NEA/PPD JESSICA DAVIES AND TRACY ROBERTS, NEA/ARP-CLAIRE 
KANESHIRO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KU, KMPI, OIIP 
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR US SPECIALIST ON POLITICAL ACTION 
CAMPAIGNS FOR WOMEN'S ISSUES 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED--PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
1. Summary: Post requests a US speaker/specialist to provide 
training recommendations for a Kuwaiti NGO focusing on 
women's political activism for the period December 6-10, 
2003, or for anytime in January if the December timeframe is 
not possible.  The speaker/specialist recruited should be 
experienced in the planning and execution of successful 
political action strategies relating to women's issues, and 
be capable of assessing what training, resource and 
organizational requirements a nascent women's NGO would 
require to achieve a specific political goal. 
Recommendations from this program will serve as a basis for 
a more in-depth program in Kuwait for this NGO, perhaps in 
the context of MEPI.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) Under the leadership of Rola Dashti, a Kuwaiti 
women's political rights advocate who was a participant in 
ECA's Vital Voices program and other USG exchanges, a group 
of women representing a cross section of Kuwaiti society are 
planning to challenge the country's "social allowance law," 
which mandates that the monthly governmental allowance for 
each child in a family be accorded to the father, even if he 
does not have custody of the children.  According to Dr. 
Dashti, the inequity of the law (and the fact that the 
children for whose welfare it is intended often do not have 
the benefit of the stipend) is a source of resentment among 
Kuwaiti women that cuts across lines of class, education, 
and religious orientation.  Dr.Dashti and her colleagues 
believe that convincing Kuwaiti authorities to change the 
law (so that whoever has custody of the children receives 
the funds) would represent an important turning point in 
raising political consciousness among women in Kuwait, and 
has asked PAS assistance in bringing American experts to 
teach her nascent organization how to mount an effective 
advocacy campaign in this regard. 
 
3.  Before post commits funds for what will likely be a 
series of complicated and expensive advocacy skills training 
seminars, we think that an initial assessment of the needs 
of this group by an expert in women's advocacy and political 
action campaigns would make sense.  The recommendations by 
this expert would then serve as a basis for future action, 
perhaps in the context of MEPI.  The program itself would 
involve a series of meetings and strategy sessions with the 
NGO and with selected Kuwaitis who support the group's 
goals.  The specialist would also be consulted by PAO and 
other mission officers. 
 
4.  Program dates:  December 6-10, 2003.  Recommend arrival 
in country December 4; departure December 11 or 12. 
Alternatively, anytime in January would be acceptable.  The 
weekend in Kuwait is Thursday-Friday--no programming is 
possible on these two days. 
 
5.  Funding: I-Bucks. 
 
6.  Language preferred: English.  (Note: NGO has told us 
that they want a speaker/specialist from a US-based NGO for 
this project, and have specifically ruled out inviting 
someone from a regional Arab-world organization.) 
 
7.  SBU: Type of Specialist requested:  Experienced women's 
rights activist/political action campaign expert who can 
assess the needs of a nascent women's NGO in Kuwait that 
seeks to modify an administrative law that discriminates 
against women and children.  Specialist would be expected to 
issue a report/analysis outlining recommended next steps in 
terms of advocacy training (e.g., use of media in political 
action campaigns, organization building, defining an agenda, 
answering criticism, etc) that the NGO might need to 
successfully wage its campaign.  Post suggests IIP contact 
the following individuals for possible leads on such a 
specialist: State Department NEA/PI director Alina 
Romanowski (tel: 202-647-1519; email: 
RomanowskiAL@state.gov; May Taylor Doherty, NDI, (202-728- 
5699, email MTDoherty@NDI.org) 
 
8.  Justification: Support for political empowerment of 
women and advocacy for children's welfare are key mission 
and MEPI goals.  Post believes that this program could lead 
to a broader action plan on these key issues. 
 
9. Program Officer is PAO John Moran, (tel: (965) 539-0373, 
e-mail MoranJG@state.gov) Thanks and regards. 
 
JONES