``Women have participated in diwaniyas, lectures, seminars and talks on women's rights,'' said Masoumah al-Mubarak, the first woman to announce her candidacy for the 2003 elections and a professor of political science at Kuwait University.

In an unprecedented move, Mubarak, who dubbed the Emir's decision a ``victory for human rights, the Kuwaiti constitution and democracy,'' was invited to open the election headquarters of former oil minister and candidate Ali al-Baghli.

Traditionally an all-male bastion where voters meet their candidate, listen to speeches and are fed and watered for free, the prominent activist called her invitation to Baghli's diwaniya a ground-breaking honour.

``Furthermore, it is the first time that the media has publicly invited women to discussequal participation, a very encouraging hint that Kuwait's policy-makers are behind granting women full political rights,'' Mubarak told AFP.

Nothing is set in stone, however, until the new parliament convenes after the 1999 polls and votes to amend the 1962 elections law from ``all males'' to ``all Kuwaitis''.

The law needs a two-thirds majority, but Mubarak remains confident of strong support from the 16-strong cabinet. ``Although we expect a few MPs to vote against granting us full rights, there has been a solid display of solidarity for our cause by senior government officials,'' she said.

Crown Prince and Prime Minister Sheikh Saad al-Abdallah al-Sabah for one has urged MPs ``not to refuse their sisters the right to exercise their political rights''.

The Emir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, decided to grant women full political representation, a revolution among the conservative Gulf states, just days after dissolving parliament on May 4 over a lack of cooperation with thegovernment.

Political commentator Shamlan al-Essa said the move was long-deserved for the politically down-trodden women of this oil-rich emirate.

``It is a very good and healthy step forward because the country is losing out due to the political non-representation of women. It was the right thing to do,'' Essa told AFP.

Women's participation in the electoral process would boost the number of voters to nearly 3,00,000 from the current 1,13,000 men, just 14 percent of Kuwaiti nationals.

Members of the armed forces, stateless Arabs and Kuwaitis naturalised after 1966 are excluded from the polls as well as females.

Khaldoun al-Naqeeb, professor of political sciences at Kuwait University, said: ``Granting women the vote was not anticipated but is very welcome. It will change the whole perspective of Kuwaiti politics if passed''.

``It will usher in a new dawn of cultural and social openness, new faces, new tactics and new elements,'' Khaldoun said.

Kuwait is the only one of the six Gulf statesto have an elected parliament, and its constitution guarantees equal status for both sexes. Although excluded from the legislative process, Kuwaiti women do occupy some ofthe top oil jobs and business roles, while as teachers and students women far outnumber men. - AFP