Regional/Cultural Day
Youm al-Mar'a al-Kuwaitiyya
A day honoring the achievements of Kuwaiti women, who gained the right to vote and run for office in 2005 after a long campaign led by women's rights activists. Kuwaiti women are among the most educated in the Gulf, and they hold prominent positions in government, business, and academia. The first female cabinet minister was appointed in 2005, and the first female members of parliament were elected in 2009. The day is marked by conferences on women's rights, exhibitions of women's art and entrepreneurship, and the recognition that Kuwaiti women are still fighting for full equality in a society that remains deeply conservative.
