March 11, 2002	Monday	Zilhaj 26, 1422

MANAMA: Bahrain has spared its women an arduous fight for political rights by adopting a constitution that grants them the right to vote and stand for office in its first election for 27 years.

But although Bahrain may have become the first state to give women political equality in the conservative Gulf Arab region, activists say women face an uphill battle trying to organize an effective challenge in the polls.

“The new constitution has spared women the effort that otherwise would have been needed to obtain their rights,” said Lulwa al-Awadi, secretary-general of the Supreme Council for Women.

“At least, we don’t have to go through what Kuwaiti women are going through,” she added.

King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, who became emir upon the death of his father in 1999, last month declared the emirate a kingdom and set municipal elections for May followed by a parliamentary vote in October.

The king also proclaimed a new constitution giving women the right to vote and to stand for office in both local and parliamentary elections.

The moves were part of steps to reunite Bahrain, which was shaken by four years of unrest by majority Shia Muslims demanding political and economic reforms.

BIG TASKS AHEAD: They say the first task is to educate women, long accustomed to living in a male-dominated society, about their rights and to persuade them to vote for female candidates.—Reuters