KUWAIT CITY, March 21: A number of lawmakers proposed on Thursday the cancellation of laws that stipulate the segregation of men and women in public and private higher-education institutions.
Shiite MPs Abdulhameed Dashti, Masouma Al-Mubarak, Adnan Al-Mutawa as well as liberal MP Nabil Al-Fadhl, and Salafi MP Salah Al-Atiqi proposed the amendment of two laws - law no. 24/1996 on the organization of higher education in Kuwait University, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training and teaching in schools and law no. 34/2000 on the establishment of private universities.
The amendments seek to cancel the articles that prevent the mixing of genders in those institutions. According to the laws, the segregation of genders is stipulated “as it agrees with Islamic values and the traditions and norms of the country”.

The lawmakers explained that segregation did not achieve the desired outcome and has hindered the process of education. It has also delayed the graduation of students due to lack of sufficient facilities for male students who are less in number than female students.

“The mixing of genders is an actual reality in souqs, shops, private and public occupations as well as all gatherings outside the field of education. In truth, the matter depends on educating young people good moral conduct,” they said.

In conclusion, the lawmakers added, safeguarding values and moral is not done with the separation of genders. In fact, “the practical application of this law has proven that it is damaging to academia, not to mention that academic and social researches reveal that co-education prepare both genders to face social life”.

The proposed amendments met with condemnation from other lawmakers. Islamist MP Khaled Al-Shulaimi describes the proposal as a step to “spread corruption, demolish virtue and is an attack on the doctrine of Sunnis and the companions.”

“We will put a stop to this deviant thought, even if it leads to the Assembly’s demise,” he added.
Shiite MP Adnan Abdulsamad also advised his fellow colleagues to withdraw this proposal as “it will create conflict in the Assembly” during this sensitive political period. He added that the issue is not a priority.

However, MP Abdulhameed Dashti said that the application of segregation has failed and that he will keep the proposal and will revise all “backward” legislations passed by previous parliaments.
In other news, MP Abdulsamad expressed reservations on some of the recommendations by a number of lawmakers on methods to curb traffic congestion in the country. He said that they appear to show that only expatriates are the main cause of traffic congestion, “even though the country’s children (Kuwaitis) are most likely responsible for most of the accidents and traffic violations and not abiding to traffic rules.”
Abdulsamad added that expatriates are only a small part of the traffic congestion problem and advised the reconsideration of recommendations that specifically target expatriates and increase the costs of their living in the country.

“I fear that these recommendations may lead to the migration of expatriate families and Kuwait will then turn into a state of bachelors,” he said.

After discussions on traffic congestion during Wednesday’s session, a number of lawmakers submitted non-binding recommendations on the issue, some of which advise the government to enforce on expatriates stringent conditions to obtain vehicles and drive on the roads.

The recommendations, which were not voted on due to lack of quorum, seek to increase driving and car license fees, lift subsidies on petrol to sell to expatriates with full price and the deportation of expatriates who commit serious traffic violations.