Kuwait swears in first female judges

Kuwait swore in eight female judges on Thursday, marking a first for the Gulf state, after a long legal battle to allow women to serve in the role.

They were among 54 people appointed as judges to the supreme court, reported the official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

The female judges' work will be evaluated after a period of time, said Yousef al-Matawa, chairman of Kuwait's supreme judicial council and the court of cassation, quoted by KUNA.

Matawa did not specify how long that period of time would be.

While Kuwaiti society is one of the most open-minded in the Gulf, with women in top government positions, some traditional families impose tight restrictions on their female relatives' movements.

Lulwa Saleh Al-Mulla, head of the Kuwaiti Women's Cultural and Social Society, said her organisation had long fought for the right of women to serve as judges.

"These appointments are heartwarming, and we believe that we are taking steps forward towards the ranks of advanced countries," she told AFP.

Women in Kuwait were granted the right to vote and run for political office in 2005.

Four years later, the first female lawmakers were elected.