KUWAIT CITY - The State of Kuwait has made notable progress in advancing the rights of women and girls, particularly through the latest round of legal reform and a concerted push for increasing the participation of women and girls in society, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, said today.
In her end of mission statement, the Special Rapporteur commended the country's efforts to promote equality between men and women, including its commitment under Vision 2035 and its human rights obligations.
During her visit, Alsalem welcomed Kuwait's legal and institutional frameworks for preventing and responding to violence against women and girls, and the most recent reforms it made including the adoption of the 2020 Domestic Violence Law and the reform of 2025 Penal Code that abolished leniency for so-called "honour crimes." She also expressed appreciation for the recent reform of the Personal Status Law, which raised the minimum age of marriage to 18 for both sexes.
Alsalem encouraged the Government to build on the progress made by making further reforms to address all forms of violence against women and girls, including, sexual harassment and digital violence.
"Despite important legal strides, the current institutional architecture for the prevention and response to discrimination and violence must be reviewed and adjusted in order to effectively address gaps in implementation and enforcement," Alsalem said. "Right now, the priority must be to continue to centre the survivor of violence, by creating better conditions for them to come forward to report; as well as to pursue and obtain justice, protection, and support. Survivor-centered services must be expanded and that can only happen if authorities and civil society strengthen their partnership," she said.
Alsalem expressed deep concern over the revocation of the Kuwaiti nationality of tens of thousands of individuals; significantly and disproportionately impacting women who had naturalised through marriage. She recognised the far-reaching impact of this unprecedented move that has affected every aspect of these women's lives, leaving them in shock and struck with grief. The expert called for transparent appeals processes, independent oversight, as well as timely expanded support services for affected women and their families.
She also highlighted that some women and girls who are not nationals of Kuwait, or/and are residing irregularly or illegally in the country, continue to face some obstacles in accessing services, as well as assistance, protection and justice.
Alsalem praised Kuwait for its solidarity and humanitarianism - at a time when funding for humanitarian work has been dwindling.
During her visit, the Special Rapporteur travelled to several governorates and met with Government representatives, representatives from international organisations, civil society organisations, academics and victims.
Alsalem will present a full report on her visit to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2026.
