Al Jazeera

Kuwait, Jun 23: For the first time in the emirate's history, Kuwaiti women have won the right to join their men in voting for a new parliament, but the battle seems far from over.

It is a move described by many as historic, coming almost a year after a campaign by advocates of female enfranchisement won through, despite strong opposition from traditional, tribal and Islamist deputies.

Kuwaiti women demonstrating for electoral reform in May

Yet as the campaign moves into its closing stages, the widespread view is that many women will probably cast their votes for just those conservative and even anti-enfranchisement candidates.

"Most women did not want to participate in politics," says Islamist candidate and member of parliament Waleed M al-Tabtabae, who is running in Kuwait City's hotly-contested Keifan district.

He voted against women being given the vote when the subject was debated last year in parliament.

"This was a heavy duty put upon them. The majority of women are in favour of us and opposed to having the vote," he told Aljazeera.net.

The June 29 elections were called by Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the emir, after he dissolved parliament last month.