Legislative bill improves rights granted to women in Kuwait

MP Ahmed Al-Hamad has submitted a bill on amending Law No. 61/ 1976 to improve the rights granted to women. Article One of the bill stipulates granting pension equal to 80 percent of the last salary to married women, divorcees and widows with children and have been in service for 15 years. If the service period is more than 15 years, the pension is calculated as per Social Security Law No. 61/ 1976. Article Two of the bill states that if the above mentioned women are business owners covered by Article Five of Law No. 61/ 1976, they will receive the same social security privileges granted to those covered by Article Three of the same law. Article Three of the bill states that retired unmarried women and those married who have no children shall receive the same social security privileges granted to those who are married, divorcees and widows with children if the service period is more than 15 years. Article Four of the bill allows retired women to work in the private or public sectors and receive salaries without reducing their pension.

Grants
Article Five of the bill grants married women who have children and are taking care of their children full time an allowance equal to the basic salary of their working counterparts — KD 550 monthly. On the other hand, MP Hamad Rouhaldeen forwarded queries to Minister of Health Dr Basel Al-Sabah about the violations in the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition as per the report of the State Audit Bureau (SAB) for fiscal 2020/2021. He requested for copies of decisions on the appointment of the current chairman and members of the board of directors of the authority, as well as the director general and his assistants.

Rouhaldeen added the bureau’s report stated that the tenure of the board chairman ended in 2019 and it was not renewed, yet the latter is still in office. He cited another violation — several doctors working at the authority even if they are under the sponsorship of other entities. He wants to know the circumstances leading to these violations and measures taken in this regard. Meanwhile, on the allegation that secret agreements were concluded during the recent national dialogue; MP Mehalhal Al-Mudaf affirmed the entire dialogue has been recorded and it will be published soon. “There is no secret in the national dialogue,” he stressed. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff