In Kuwait’s May 2009 elections, women were elected to parliament for the first time in the country’s history. Lara Dunston and Terence Carter speak to the four female MPs about their first six months in office Photography by Terence Carter

Dr Massouma Al-Mubarak

With her twinkling eyes, sunny demeanour and hibiscus-patterned suit jacket, Dr Massouma Al-Mubarak looks like a doting granny. So it’s no surprise when she announces proudly: “I have four children and I’m a grandma.”

A former professor of political science at Kuwait University, Dr Massouma is the longest-serving woman in Kuwaiti politics, appointed to the Cabinet in 2005. This year, she secured the highest number of votes in District 1, which she credits to her vision for the role of women in the country. “I want equality,” she says, and she’s well aware of the size of this challenge.

As head of the parliamentary women’s committee, Dr Massouma is responsible for guiding the female MPs’ agenda. Their top priority is establishing comprehensive legislation regarding all social and civil rights for women in Kuwait, and to amend all laws discriminating against women, especially those who are married to non-Kuwaitis and bedoun, who have no nationality.

“In the 1980s, women in Kuwait who asked for rights were attacked by fanatics. They accused us of not being Muslims, of being too Western. They questioned my ability to teach my students and questioned our morals. As a woman, wife and mother, these things hurt,” she admits. “But there’s been great transformation in Kuwait – something we can measure by numbers, enthusiasm and verbal support, by people’s willingness to support us voluntarily in the campaign, and by the number of women participating.”

Women are not Dr Massouma’s only priority, though. “Kuwait was a pioneer of democracy in the region,” she says, “but we fell behind economically because we didn’t cooperate, we couldn’t agree on anything, and so we had stagnation. We need to keep in mind the need for political stability.”

A side effect of Dr Massouma’s higher profile is that she’s now a role model for young women. “Many tell me they want to go into politics and ask for my recipe for success. I say, first, be honest to yourself and with others; and second, develop a field of specialty and get educated. If you believe in it, you will do it!”

Dr Salwa Al-Jassar

Dr Salwa Al-Jassar, a mathematics professor and former head of the Centre for Empowering Women, used to think that women would never serve as parliamentarians in Kuwait. Now, she is beside herself with joy – a delight openly expressed at the inaugural session of parliament in May when Dr Salwa threw her head back and laughed elatedly. It was a moment captured on camera for the world to share.

“I’m loving it!” she declares. “The first 90 days in office were like 25 years in my former career. It can be frustrating because as women we are under the microscope, but I’m so happy. I have a plan, a vision. This is the right place for me.”

“As women in Middle East society it has always been hard for us,” explains Dr Salwa, “but when I ran for office I didn’t have any trouble. I had the support of so many women, even old women. My mum is 75 and she was a big supporter. She said: ‘Go for it. But get permission from your husband first.’” Her husband didn’t merely give his wife approval – he became the chairman of her campaign.

Dr Salwa believes that being friends with her female colleagues is vital to their success. “It makes us more effective,” she says. “We have our differences, but we can still work together. We’re not a brand or a label. We each have our own opinions and priorities. But a united front certainly makes us stronger.”

Dr Rola Dashti

Dr Rola Dashti sits at her desk on her mobile phone, deep in conversation. When she finishes her call she looks up, sighs, smiles and sinks heavily into the leather sofa. She appears occupied, distracted and, with dark circles under her eyes, a little tired. By her own admission, the economist, academic and activist is a workaholic.

“I’ve always been a busy person. I like to get things done,” says the 45-year-old, who has a PhD in Population Economics from Johns Hopkins University in the USA, and is one of Kuwait’s most prominent social activists, working with NGOs to advance democracy in the region. “Here it’s difficult because there are always disruptions. We don’t own our time. We can’t control our agenda. It’s a different experience, being in office. It’s hectic. It’s demanding. But it’s a duty.”

“Engaging women in politics and strengthening and deepening the role of Kuwaiti women is a priority for me,” she declares. “Sadly, there are people who think politics is not for women. So we need to show we are capable – and open the door for other women. Our every move is being watched, any fumble recorded and discussed.”

Dr Rola appears a bit frustrated by her first months in office. “For the past few months, we’ve been like fire fighters,” she divulges. “We’re continually putting out fires that different interest groups have been creating by politicising our every action.”

She argues that the most pressing items on her agenda are economic and educational reform. “They must go hand in hand,” she explains. “We need to create and implement a five-year plan and we can’t afford to waste any more time.”

“I think we’re all role models,” Dr Rola says of the foursome, “to women across the Middle East and especially in the Gulf because we are the result of free elections. Now my dream is to strengthen the role of women in society.”

Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi

The youngest of the four female MPs, Dr Aseel AlAwadhi used social media such as Facebook to get her message out, and received more support from young voters than any candidate.

The former philosophy professor’s passion for social justice, democracy and gender equality motivated her to enter politics. While she says she’s happy “the second half of society is represented after more than 40 years of male democracy”, gender issues are not her top priority. “Kuwaitis need better education,” she says, “so we need to work on legislation to guarantee that and change those that hinder such achievements, such as the segregation law for higher education.” She also calls for affordable housing and more environmental awareness.

Dr Aseel feels that Kuwaitis are becoming more politically astute. “People have started to care about end results, not verbal slogans,” she explains. “People started to rearrange their priorities and better understand what they need from an MP.

“The greatest challenge of the job is having so many responsibilities and not much time to satisfy them all,” she states. “The first two weeks were hard and messy. It’s difficult to juggle public and private lives. My personal space has become very limited, if not vanished.”

Young women wanting to follow in her footsteps should, she says, “believe and trust in themselves – always have hope, work hard to achieve their goals, and not allow anyone to put them down. They must accept failure as a step towards success. Nothing is impossible if there is a determination to achieve it.”