Prosperous and possessed of a spirited parliament, Kuwait has prided itself on being a standard setter among the Arab monarchies on the Persian Gulf. With respect to women's rights, however, today Kuwait ranks just above Saudi Arabia. Kuwaiti women are allowed to drive and they occupy positions in public life ranging from secretary to second-level government ministers, but like their sisters in Saudi Arabia, they can neither vote nor run for political office.

In 2004, Kuwaiti feminists opened another chapter in their perennial campaign to get the parliament to vote for women's political rights. The current chapter is strangely quiet. Most Kuwaiti feminists are convinced that the measure's time has finally come, but few intend to lobby legislators to pass it. The National Assembly elected in 2003 includes few men committed to the cause of women's rights. But this is not the reason why Kuwaiti suffrage activists are directing their efforts elsewhere. Like their fellow citizens, they believe that what a majority of Parliament thinks about important issues does not really matter. What matters is what the government thinks.

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