| Kuwaiti journalists share their experiences with Indians |
| | Mon, 14 May 2012 |
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NEW DELHI: A visiting delegation of ten senior Kuwaiti journalists shared their experiences with Indian scholars, academicians and journalists, about their society, role of women, and media, back home.
They delved into how Kuwaiti media has grown over the years, and is still developing at a fast pace.
The journalists were speaking at a seminar titled "Society, Gender and Media: Experiences from Kuwait" at New Delhi-based Jamia Milia Islamia University's "India-Arab Cultural Centre".
Initiating the discussion, coordinator of the Kuwaiti delegation Adnan Khalifa Al-Rashed emphasized that India has a great influence over the Kuwaiti society and media, as it is a "great ancient civilization not only in Asia but internationally". "It has a rich mix of traditions, customs, dreams and aspirations," said Rashed and added that his country attaches great significance to India.
According to him, this is the first Kuwaiti media delegation (of this level) visiting India.
Commenting on journalism in his country, he said that it began in 1928 when three journals started getting published, and "daily journalism" began in 1960s. "Indians played a significant role in technical aspects in the development of Kuwaiti journalism. Today, there are more than 15 Arabic dailies in Kuwait, three mainstream English dailies, tens of weekly magazines and tens of specialized magazines being published in Kuwait," said Adnan.
Delving on the role of Kuwaiti women, Haila Al-Metaimi, a professor of political science at Kuwait's College of Social Sciences, said that her country's female gender has come a long way of struggle to achieve political power.
"The Kuwaiti women struggled for nearly 30 years, before finally getting voting rights in 2006, but then took just three years to enter Kuwaiti parliament after successfully winning four parliamentary seats in 2009. But, the last elections were again a setback for the Kuwaiti women when not even a single woman leader could win," she said.
Haila further stated that Kuwaiti women played even a greater role in liberation of Kuwait (from Iraq), and thereafter began asserting their role in active politics, "though they started taking interest in Kuwait politics from 1970s." "Kuwaiti Constitution provides equal rights to women in fields of politics and employment," she added.
According to her, "Women Diwanias" also played an important role in the development of women-politics in Kuwait, "as they are the best way of communicating and interacting about day-to-day issues faced by the country". Among other Kuwaiti journalists present on the occasion were Kuwait News Agency's (KUNA) Editor-in-Chief Rashed Mohammed Al-Ruwaished, Chairman of Kuwait Journalists Association and head of delegation Ahmed Yousuf Behbehani, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Al-Jazeera Saoud Rashed Al-Anezi, Editor-in-Chief of Kuwait Times Abdul Rahman Yousuf Al-Alyan, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Anba Yousef Khaled Al-Marzook, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Nahar Emad Jawad Bukhamseen.
The Kuwaiti journalists' delegation arrived in New Delhi early Monday morning. They were received by officials of the Kuwait embassy and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. Later, Kuwait embassy hosted a lunch in their honor. -KUNA
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