US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT2606

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 002606 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, KWMN, KDEM, PINR, KU, Ministers 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT APPOINTS FIRST FEMALE MINISTER; CABINET 
RESHUFFLE POSSIBLE 
 
REF: KUWAIT 2229 
 
Classified By: DCM Matthew Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b and d) 
 
1. (C) Press reports that Kuwait has appointed Kuwait 
University Political Science professor and women's rights 
activist Dr. Massouma Al-Mubarak as Minister of Planning and 
Minister of State for Administrative and Development Affairs 
have been confirmed by Dr. Massouma and sources inside the 
Prime Minister's Diwan.  The decision marks a historic first 
for Kuwait and highlights the GOK's efforts to expand 
political rights to women, which had previously culminated in 
the May 16 National Assembly vote that granted women voting 
rights.  Dr. Massouma replaces Shaykh Ahmed Al-Abdullah 
Al-Sabah, who will retain his post as Minister of 
Communications and also assume the post of Minister of 
Health.  The addition of Dr. Massouma, a Shiite, to the 
cabinet likely serves the additional purpose of appeasing 
Kuwait's Shiite minority, who have been without cabinet-level 
representation since January.  Although these are the only 
cabinet changes post is aware of at this time, a senior 
advisor to Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah has 
indicated there may be more changes in the near future. 
 
2. (C) Dr. Massouma told Poloffs she had not been expecting 
the appointment, but was very pleased to have been granted 
the opportunity to show that Kuwaiti women could be effective 
leaders.  She said she hoped she could use her new position 
to advance the status of women in Kuwait. Well-known 
activist, Dr. Rola Dashti, concurred, telling Poloff that she 
was also optimistic about the appointment, which she had 
known about for a day. 
 
3. (C) In a separate conversation, Assistant Undersecretary 
of the Prime Minister's Diwan, Shaykh Fawaz Saud Nasser 
Al-Sabah hinted that there may be other cabinet changes in 
the works.  Responding to Poloff's message of congratulations 
on the appointment of the new minister, Shaykh Fawaz asked 
"which one?"  When asked, Shaykh Fawaz would not confirm any 
additional changes, but added that Poloff should "wait and 
see." 
 
4. (U) The appointment of Dr. Massouma rounds out the 
cabinet, which under Article 56 of the 1962 Constitution 
cannot consitute more than one-third of the number of members 
of the 50-person National Assembly. 
 
Biographical Information 
------------------------ 
 
4.  (U) Dr. Massouma Saleh Al-Mubarak is a well known Embassy 
contact and a regular attendee of Public Diplomacy events. 
She participated in the International Visitors Program in 
February - March 2000, attending a course on Political 
Leadership and Campaigning for Women. She earned her PhD in 
Political Science from Colorado State University in 1982 and 
her Master's Degree in International Relations from North 
Texas in 1981.  Married to a Bahraini national, she is the 
mother of three daughters and one son.  Dr. Massouma appears 
to be in her late 50s and wears traditional hijab 
headcovering.  A long-time advocate for women's rights, she 
is one of a group of Kuwaiti women who had annually attempted 
to register their names on voting roles in protest of female 
disenfranchisement. 
 
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LEBARON