Kuwaiti Women Join Men’s Gathering
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KUWAIT CITY — Kuwaiti women, capitalizing on pressure for democracy and sexual equality, gained access this week to the most exclusive men’s club in the emirate--the diwaniya .
The diwaniya , an old Kuwaiti tradition, is a regular gathering in the house of a distinguished man in almost every neighborhood.
Mohammed Kaddiri, a pro-democracy opposition figure, said that a diwaniya held at his house Wednesday was the first in the history of Kuwait to include women.
“After the catastrophe of the Iraqi occupation and the important role women inside Kuwait played during that period, we think women should have a say in our society,” he said.
Among several women attending the meeting was Layla Othman, the emirate’s most prominent female writer.
“This step is only at its begining. . . . It should help in building a relationship between men and women at this critical stage of reconstructing the country,” she said.
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