Kuwaiti women running for the parliamentary elections on Thursday are receiving threats and facing harassment, causing at least one candidate to drop out of the race, AFP reported.
Thursday’s poll will be the first time Kuwaiti women are participating in parliamentary election as both voters and candidates.
Contenders are complaining of threatening phone calls and letters, and vandalism of their elections posters.
‘Alia Al-‘Anizi, a female candidate who is pulling out of the race, said she received threatening phone calls warning that her life was in danger.
“We won’t let a woman rule us,” the caller said.
Despite the difficulties, 28 female candidates are adamant about participating in the elections. There are 250 candidates in total.
Women in Kuwait were granted the right to vote for the first time last May. Elections were originally slated for 2007, but were brought forward after the parliament was dissolved last month.
Women constitute 56 percent of Kuwait’s electorate.