Five Kuwaiti women made history on Thursday by becoming the first females to register as candidates for next month's parliamentary elections, ending a 44-year-old ban on their political participation.
"It's a historic day. It's a dream come true and the actual beginning of Kuwaiti women's participation in public life," leading women's rights activist Rula Dashti told AFP after filing her documents at the election department.
Registration opened on Thursday for the June 29 election which was called on Sunday in an effort to end a serious political deadlock over an electoral reform bill. "Today, we strengthen the role of women's participation in the political life," added Dashti.
She said she would focus her campaign on economic reforms, unemployment and combatting corruption.
