news makers
Dr Aseel Al Awadhi
Cocking
a snook
at the patriarchal
system
By Vani Saraswathi
I
t’s easy to complain and be disdainful
of the environment we are in. It takes
courage to attempt change; convic-
tion to be part of the solution. And
Aseel Al Awadhi has enough of those
two Cs to challenge a patriarchal system
and be a role model to young Kuwaitis.
That she is one of the ‘first women’ to be
elected to the Kuwaiti Parliament in 2009
is only incidental. Her decision to jump into
the political fray was not a battle of the sex-
es as many described it to be.
At barely 40, she became one of the first
four women elected to the 50-seat Kuwait
National Assembly. Women in Kuwait
gained the right to vote and run for office
in 2005, but none had been elected until
2009.
She recognises the historical relevance of
women’s participation in politics, but her
agenda is not driven by gender.
“I am not a politician or an MP for life.
16 February 2010
I just want to present an example of an al-
ternative way of how politics can be run
and how politicians can be. Then I will step
back and go back to teaching – my first
love,” she says, in an exclusive interview to
Woman Today.
You are probably one of the few tech
savvy politicians in the region, gen-
der no bar. Launching the campaign
on Youtube, nurturing a Facebook
support group, active on Twitter… a
strange dichotomy given the extent
of censorship in the region.
In Kuwait, new media is very popular, es-
pecially with the youth. My campaign was
designed and executed to attract that group
of people – to motivate them to participate
in national politics and to make a mark.
Launching my campaign on Youtube was
an idea given by my team leaders. My cam-
paign was run by a very young team whose
average age was not more than 30.
This (the Arab) society is very authorita-
tive and always believes in a one man show.
The candidate would take unilateral deci-
sions and pass it on as orders. My campaign
was very different from traditional election
campaigns – it was decentralised. The team
leaders – a consulting committee – would
meet every night, and they would brief me
on decisions they have made for me to fol-
low. They were a group of politically aware
youngsters.
I wanted a positive outlook for the cam-
paign. We were living in a very distressed
political environment – the Parliament had
been dissolved thrice in three years. There
was anger, loud and heated arguments.
We wanted to present a different model
of a politician, who uses logical argu-
ments; a calm voice; short and pertinent
speeches. I wanted to present an example
of an alternative way of conducting politics.
Using the Internet to that end was part of
our strategy.
But for those who fear change – as
we have seen in the region – the
Internet is perceived as a threat
isn’t it? Hence, the attempts at
censorship…
Technology has created a wave we can’t re-
sist. Whether we like it or not, it’s impos-
sible for anyone to censor the Internet. We
might as well just be prepared to ride the
wave instead of fighting it. Facebook and
blogs providing a good opportunity to reach
out to people. The medium can be effective-
ly used to bring about other changes, too.
In Kuwait newspapers are more popular
online, as there is an opportunity to com-
ment. Whether young or older generation,
people are embracing the net.
Though women won the right to run
This (the Arab)
society is very
authoritative
and always
believes in a
one man show
for office in 2005, none were elected
in 2006 nor in 2008. Why?
Women were out of the political arena for
40 years. This is a relatively new experience.
We had to build trust and confidence; and it
takes time to garner enough support.
The Arab culture is such that people are
resistant to change. They are worried about
the social impact of these changes. The is-
sue is that of the patriarchal culture we live
in. The distinction between the role of men
and women is ancient and stereotypical.
There is this inherent conviction that
women are emotional, weak and can’t
handle the consequences of being a po-
litical activist. It takes time to break those
stereotypes. But the third time around we
got around these issues and four of us got
elected.
Are you okay with the ‘woman’ tag
attached to all your achievements
2010 February 17
 news makers
and initiatives?
It is challenging to be perceived accord-
ing to your sex. Running for the election
I presented myself as a candidate, not as
a woman. A candidate who had certain
ideologies, believed could succeed and
contribute something to the society as a
citizen. Yes, I addressed women’s issues.
Just as I addressed other issues facing the
civil society.
I made sure not to label myself as a ‘wom-
an’ candidate.
It’s beyond my control how people per-
ceive me or choose to tag me. Especially
the media – the way they put twists on our
victory, working hard to label us as only
women.
Even in Parliament, there is a lot of spec-
ulation on what we would achieve. They
forget we are four amongst 46. No one will
challenge the 46, but they want us to change
Credit: Afp Photo/Yasser Al-Zayyat
Kuwaiti MP Aseel Al Awadhi (right) and Kuwait Football Club’s Chairman and MP Marzuq Al Ghanem at the start of
the club’s AFC Cup final match
18 February 2010
A woman is always treated
guilty before she is proven
innocent... a failure until
she’s proven a success.
the universe.
It’s impossible. It’s annoying when we are
not treated as ‘MPs’, but as some super hu-
mans. We are in the spotlight certainly. Our
mistakes are magnified 10 times more than
that of others. We are exposed to harsher
criticism. A woman is always treated guilty
before she is proven innocent. A failure un-
til she’s proven a success. We have to work
10 times as much and have 10 times less
mistakes to be taken seriously.
There are just four of you in a
parliament of 50. Is that by itself
challenging or intimidating? What is
the working relationship with your
male and female colleagues?
I have a very pleasant relationship with my
female colleagues. But we don’t act as one
group isolated from other MPS. That was a
very conscious decision – not to create a fe-
male clique, because everyone was expect-
ing it. With my male colleagues I have no
problems either. A lot of them are respect-
ful, appreciative and helpful. Even some of
the conservatives, who at the very begin-
ning opposed our presence in the parlia-
ment, started to submit to our seriousness.
It’s very hard at the beginning for them to
accept women’s representation in politics
and parliament, because it’s a male domi-
nated field.
But when we walked in with a positive
spirit, proving we can cooperate with them
and trust them, we broke down barriers
and preconceived notions.
A few still jump on any chance to attack
female MPs; but these are just a few and
more importantly, they are not supported
by the rest. That’s good.
The never-ending debate on wearing
the veil across the world should
strike a special chord with you –
since there was an issue raised on
the four MPs wearing a hijab to ful-
fil their constitutional roles. What
do you think of this obsession people
across the world have on women’s
attire?
We have to understand the background
first. Political Islamists are using religion
as a slogan to further their political agenda.
That’s very obvious to us. The way they can
mobilise people and claim success is to ac-
tually preserve the patriarchal culture. This
is a cultural struggle, not a religious one.
We are threatening the beliefs of a pa-
triarchal society that defines the roles of
women and men. Us winning the seats
weakens them – weakens their arguments.
Certainly they will fight back, using any
means possible, one of which is the issue of
veil. It appeals to the conservatives by stat-
ing that since we are not veiled, we are not
committed to religion.
They stress that religion should be the
basis on which votes are drafted. We un-
derstand the background of this attack, so
didn’t give it much attention. They were not
able to drift me away from my agenda.
What about in the West?
In the West women wear it as a sign of iden-
tity – to distinguish themselves and pre-
serve their Muslim identity. In any case, all
of this is just an excuse to attack women.
Kuwait has the oldest parliament in
the region. It’s also the first consti-
tutional monarchy in the Gulf, but
there are critics who say develop-
ment has slowed down (compared to
other GCC states) because of politi-
cal differences. Your take?
I would agree partially. Political develop-
ment has gone in the wrong direction.
The role of the tribe and family has for
years taken priority over national inter-
est instead of real democratic practices in
which people vote for agendas and common
objectives. In 2010 we still have a vast ma-
jority voting for relatives and tribes. This
is certainly a negative practice. Kuwait has
not succeeded in overcoming this.
At a social level you can be proud of
your heritage, religion, tribe – it could be a
source of your identity, but in the political
and public arena you are a citizen first.
The government too has to be blamed for
the lack of development. It has executive
powers and is responsible for carrying out
development plans. Our government has no
strategic plans! For the first time in 1985 we
voted on a law passing a 5-year-plan, but in
the 1986 the parliament was dissolved, the
plan was dismissed, not implemented.
The government is reactive, not proac-
tive, and so it can’t lead change.
But the danger of such criticism is
that democracy itself is seen as
the root of the problem.
Yes, but to have a real democracy there must
be some prerequisites. We need educational
reforms that promote tolerance and critical
thinking. We don’t have this in Kuwait.
The lack of certain reforms or legisla-
tions does not mean democracy is not good.
There are lots of benefits that have ac-
crued to us, the Kuwaiti people, because of
democracy.
Freedom of speech is something we are
proud of. We can criticise the government,
the royal family, people in public offices...
You have witnessed two Gulf Wars,
rather directly in one. Do you think
diplomacy as a tact no longer makes
sense since wars are resorted to so
quickly?
I don’t think so. There are some attitudes
that force war. If diplomatic efforts have
failed, then policies need to be revisited.
You can’t enforce a political system on a
country. Saddam Hussein deserved to be
removed, but the people did not deserve
the aftermath.
What is happening in Iraq now – the cha-
os – was expected. These are people who
have lived under a totalitarian, oppressive
regime all their lives – who have had rela-
tives die in front of their eyes for differences
in opinions! How do you think they would
Aseel Al Awadhi, PhD, member of the
Kuwait National Assembly, was the first
speaker in Carnegie Mellon University
in Qatar’s Distinguished Lecture Series
2010. The lecture was titled ’Gulf Wom-
en and Politics: the Kuwaiti Experience’.
“I am delighted to have been invited
by Carnegie Mellon these last two days
to share my experience, objectives and
discuss the challenges I faced as one
of the first women to be elected as a
member of the Kuwaiti Parliament,”
said Al Awadhi, in a statement prior to
the lecture. “Personally, I have always
looked for ways to bend the rules and
break away from convention. As one of
four women recently elected to the par-
liament, we are pleased that the voters
have recognized the need for change in
order to prepare Kuwait for a future in
an increasingly global society. Our near-
term objectives are to work together on
laws representing those groups in our
communities whose rights are not held
up to international standards including
women, labourers, children and those
with special needs.”
Prior to being elected to the Assembly,
Al Awadhi was a professor of philosophy
at Kuwait University. Al Awadhi earned
a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Ku-
wait University and a PhD in philosophy
at the University of Texas in Austin.
2010 February 19
 news makers
function when they have freedom? They
are not going to be tolerant or democratic.
They are going to seek revenge. For them, if
you disagree, you kill. They don’t know any
other means of communicating or working
out their differences.
It was an irresponsible act to disregard
all these factors and wage a war.
When I was doing my PhD in Austin,
there was a women’s delegation from the
Middle East. There were a couple from
West Bank, Gaza. I had an interesting con-
versation with them. They were telling me
how it was very easy for Arabs sitting in air
conditioned comfort to say ‘We don’t want
peace. We want all of the land of Palestine.’
The lady from Gaza said, “It’s not their chil-
dren who are starving or their houses that’s
being knocked down and they are not fight-
ing. We just need a piece of land to live.”
This conversation has played on my mind.
It is ridiculous for us to decide for people in
the line of fire. Same goes for Iraq. It’s not
America’s place to decide what’s good for
them. It’s very complicated.
In the short time since you have been
an MP, which are the most memora-
ble moments or important decisions
you have taken?
In this relatively short time, there are two
things I am proud of. One is the way I run
my office. I have a real back office, not just a
secretary. I have moved away from the tra-
ditional way in which things are run. I have
a young team, a Chief of Staff who is just 25
years old and speaks four languages.
I have a media and research team. My of-
fice again is decentralised, and that drew a
lot of flak at the beginning. I took the criti-
cism positively, because I know it will take
20 February 2010
There is this inherent conviction that women
are emotional, weak and can’t handle the
consequences of being a political activist. It
takes time to break those stereotypes.
Al Awadhi at a parliament session in Kuwait City
a while for people to understand what I am
trying to do.
I am training the future… the media was
hard on me at the beginning, they hated
me. Now they realise that those young men
and women need to be trained, and held
responsible for their decision. They are our
future politicians.
People realise that I need to concentrate
on the laws I am working on, and that the
team can be trusted to take other decisions
special needs, children’s rights, women’s
Credit: Afp Photo/Yasser Al-Zayyat
civil rights.
What is the most common question
asked by women in the region of you?
The most common, in Kuwait, is how I deal
with the conservatives and Islamists. I am
the youngest of the four women MPs, so they
feel sorry for me. They see all the shouting
and yelling in Parliament. But that’s for the
television cameras. Those MPs just want to
make an impression that they are ‘heroes’.
Otherwise they are nice, and we get along.
In the rest of the Arab world, I am asked
how I got here, and they wonder if they could
achieve that too. In the West they are more
curious about my story. The route to my
success.
What is the route? When did you de-
cide you would join politics?
I was always politically active. When I
started teaching the Kuwait University af-
ter living nine years in the US, the political
situation was very bad in Kuwait. So people
complained a lot. For me personally, I felt
the lack of a good example. A politician who
or answer the questions and convey the
message.
People don’t work this way in Kuwait.
No one trusts anyone else to do the work
for them. There is no concept of teamwork
or delegation. If I achieve nothing else, I
would be happy with this.
The other is my work in committees on
various legislations. The labour law passed
recently, the first proper legislation of its
kind in Kuwait. Then there are those on
could represent me in the speech style, pri-
orities… there were very few I could look up
to and say these are leaders I can follow.
Because I teach political philosophy, I
spoke a lot about this to my students. I loved
my job as a teacher, I have a passion for it,
I enjoy it. I could see how disappointed the
youth were in the political system, the parlia-
ment and the politicians. They were starting
to lose hope in their country and their future
– I thought this was seriously dangerous.
They are the future and they can’t lose hope.
When the parliament dissolved in 2008,
I decided to jump into politics. Unless there
is educational reform, not much will change.
Yes, I was teaching, but my influence was
still limited. But as a law maker, I would be
able to draft or drive those reforms. But I am
not a politician or an MP for life.
How supportive was your family?
My family has always been pro women’s edu-
cation. I have two brothers. One was totally
behind me and encouraging me to go for it.
The other was hesitant, but supportive. My
parents were worried but behind me all the
way.
slug name
Rolemodels
In Kuwait, I really look up to Dr Ahmad
Al Khatib, the most famous secular sym-
bol in Kuwait and Vice-President of the
Constituent Assembly which passed the
Constitution of Kuwait in 1962.
Dr Al Martinich, my PhD dissertation su-
pervisor at the University of Texas, Aus-
tin played an invaluable role in my life. I
learnt so much from him on ethics and
dedication. After my defence, I did not
merely become a ‘doctor’, but a whole
new me was born. I came back with
better mental abilities and a different
way of thinking, because of the pressure
he placed on me.
After the 2008 election, though I did not
win, I received a large number of votes, after
which even those who were a little hesitant
threw their weight behind me and pushed
me to go for it again in 2009.
I am really lucky to have their support;
there is no way you can do this without their
support
2010 February 21