WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1419/96 by María SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ , Angela SIERRA GONZÁLEZ to the Commission. Women's suffrage in the Arab countries
Date: 1996-06-06
Institutions: European Parliament, SIERRA GONZALEZ, SORNOSA MARTINEZ
Subjects: Euro-Arab cooperation, Kuwait, parliamentary election, participation of women, position of women, vote, woman, women's rights













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91996E1419

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1419/96 by María SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ , Angela SIERRA GONZÁLEZ to the Commission. Women's suffrage in the Arab countries  


Official Journal C 322 , 28/10/1996 P. 0063 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1419/96 by María Sornosa Martínez (GUE/NGL) and Angela Sierra González (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (6 June 1996)Subject: Women's suffrage in the Arab countriesIn October 1996 Kuwait is to hold legislative elections in which women will have no right to vote or stand for election. This is one more example of the fact that in the Arab-Muslim world there is little participation by women in public life.Whereas the very nature of the patriarchal regime which prevails in fundamentalist Islam conditions women culturally, socially and religiously to the point where it constructs a political reality in which there is no room for them,Given that this political obstacle can only be seen, in the light of our own experience, as an obstacle to progress in any country and that this, without any doubt, affects our international relations,Does the Commission believe that the situation of women in these countries might affect the relations of these countries with the European Union?Does the Commission plan to take any measures to suggest to these countries that they should consolidate and uphold genuine democratic principles and respect for human rights, such as voting rights for women?Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (5 July 1996)The Commission is aware of the problem raised by the Honourable Members and deplores the plight of women in certain Arab countries. Full participation by women in political and social life is, in its view, a primary indicator of the state of democratization of a country.The Commission in its communication on 'Improving relations between the European Union and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council' ((COM(95) 541 final. )), emphasises the importance of reinforcement of political dialogue with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to '... enable the two sides to discuss questions of human rights and democracy which are important both at international level and the level of the relations between the European Union and the GCC'. In this respect, a first political dialogue meeting at senior official level, which complements the political dialogue during ministerial meetings between the European Union and the GCC was held on 29 February 1996.Regarding the parliamentary election in Kuwait scheduled for October 1996 the Commission considers that is an further step in the process of the democratisation of the country. While encouraging this process, the Commission deeply regrets that women are not allowed to vote or to be elected and hopes the government of Kuwait will introduce the necessary reforms to permit the full participation of women in the electoral process.