Harman Patil (Editor)

Human rights in Kuwait

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Human rights in Kuwait

Human rights in Kuwait derive from the 1961 Constitution of Kuwait as well as a series of international treaties.

Contents

Treaties

Kuwait is a party to several international human rights treaties, including

  • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
  • Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery
  • Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others
  • United Nations Convention Against Torture
  • Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour
  • Convention concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour
  • Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention
  • Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
  • Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
  • Convention against Discrimination in Education

    • Freedom of Expression

    According to Human Rights Watch annual report 2016, Kuwaiti authorities have invoked several laws to prosecute over a dozen people during the last few years. The detainees were arrested after criticizing the emir, government on social media. They convicted of insulting the emir and harming the honor of another person. The report documented that from January to October 2015, courts have sentenced five people up to six years in prison and fines.

    Migrant workers

    In June 2007, Kuwait was found to be one of the worst offenders in human trafficking according to a report issued by the United States Department of State. The finding was due to the Kuwait government's repeated failure to tackle the problem.

    Some migrant workers are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude by employers in Kuwait. The workers were subject to physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, threats, confinement to the home, and withholding of passports to restrict their freedom of movement.

    Bedoon

    There are 100,000 Bedoon in Kuwait. The Bedoon are reportedly stateless people. The Kuwaiti government believes most Bidoon are foreign nationals from neighboring countries. Kuwait considers the Bedoon illegal immigrants.

    Women's rights

    Kuwaiti women are considered to be among the most emancipated women in the Middle East region. In 2013, 46.7% of Kuwaiti women participated in the labor force.

    Muslim women in Kuwait are discriminated under the family law. Children born to a Kuwaiti mother and non-Kuwaiti father do not get Kuwaiti citizenship, unless the father is dead, a POW or divorced with the Kuwaiti mother.

    Media freedom

    According to a 2009 report from the Reporters without Borders, Kuwait is engaged in pervasive Internet filtering and selective filtering in security areas. The primary target of Internet filtering is pornography. The Kuwait Ministry of Communication regulates ISPs, making them block pornography and anti-security websites.

    Voice over Internet Protocol is legal in Kuwait.

    References

    Human rights in Kuwait Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA