The Kuwait Society for Human Rights, together with the Abolish 153 Campaign, recently released the results of a landmark survey on attitudes towards violence against women in Kuwait and the Gulf States. One of the main findings of the survey showed that the majority of Kuwaiti society is opposed to article 153 of Kuwaiti penal code, which allows for lenient punishment of men who kill female relatives “in the act of adultery.” Article 153 “can be exploited by men” to excuse the killing women in the name of “honor.”
Other recent studies demonstrate that violence against women is a pressing issue in the country. A 2012 medical study found that 54 to 79 percent of all emergency cases at Kuwait hospitals were related to domestic violence. Additionally, very few shelters exist in Kuwait for women victims of violence, in part because of the severe social stigma faced by women who seek protection in a shelter.
Compiled from: Al-Shuaibi, Athoob, Abolish 153 announces findings of survey on violence against women, Kuwait Times (September 25, 2016).