Kuwait
Kuwait, a constitutional monarchy, is currently undergoing significant political and legal shifts. As of early 2026, the human rights landscape is marked by a major constitutional crisis and a deepening crackdown on dissent, alongside some progressive reforms in women’s rights.
1. Suspension of Parliamentary Democracy
In May 2024, the Emir issued a decree that profoundly altered Kuwait's political system, a situation that remains in effect as of February 2026.
Dissolution of Parliament: The Emir dissolved the elected National Assembly and suspended several articles of the Constitution for a period of up to four years.
Rule by Decree: This move effectively removed the legislative oversight that made Kuwait unique among Gulf states. The government now rules primarily by executive decree, with no functioning legislature to challenge its decisions.
Political Repression: Since the suspension, several former MPs and activists have been arrested or prosecuted for "encroaching on the Emir’s powers" or criticizing the dissolution online.
2. Statelessness: The Bidoon Crisis
The treatment of the Bidoon (stateless individuals who claim Kuwaiti residency) remains one of the country's most persistent and severe human rights issues.
Legal Limbo: Over 100,000 Bidoon are classified as "illegal residents," denying them basic rights to citizenship, even if their families have lived in Kuwait for generations.
Restriction of Services: Authorities continue to use the "Central Agency for Illegal Residents" to pressure Bidoon into admitting they have foreign nationality. Those who refuse often face the denial of birth certificates, marriage licenses, and access to public education or healthcare.
Weaponized Denaturalization: In 2024 and 2025, the government intensified the use of citizenship revocation as a tool to punish political opponents and high-profile figures, often leaving them and their families stateless without any judicial path to appeal.
3. Migrant Worker Exploitation and Digital Kafala
With nearly 70% of the population being non-citizens, Kuwait relies heavily on migrant labor under the restrictive Kafala (sponsorship) system.
Exit-Visa Digitalization: In July 2025, Kuwait introduced a new digital system requiring migrant workers to obtain employer approval via government apps (Ashal or Sahel) before they can leave the country. Critics argue this "digitalizes" the Kafala system, making it easier for employers to trap workers in abusive conditions.+1
Extreme Heat Risks: Despite some regulations, workers in construction and outdoor sectors remain highly vulnerable to extreme heat. Reports from the summer of 2025 highlighted significant health crises among workers due to inadequate enforcement of mandatory rest periods during peak temperatures.
4. Women’s Rights: Progress and Obstacles
Kuwait has seen a "two steps forward, one step back" dynamic regarding gender equality.
Legislative Gains: In early 2025, Kuwait raised the minimum age of marriage to 18 and repealed Article 153 of the Penal Code, which previously allowed for reduced sentences in "honor" killings.
Nationality Discrimination: Women still cannot pass their Kuwaiti citizenship to their children or non-citizen spouses on equal terms with men. Furthermore, a 2024 decree removed the right of foreign women to automatically acquire citizenship through marriage to a Kuwaiti man.+1
Gender-Based Violence: While the 2020 Domestic Violence Law was a milestone, the UN Special Rapporteur noted in late 2025 that implementation remains weak, with a lack of shelters and survivor-centered services.
5. LGBTQ+ Rights and "Public Morality"
The environment for LGBTQ+ individuals remains hostile, with active state-led campaigns against "non-traditional" expression.
Criminalization: Consensual same-sex activity between men remains illegal, punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Censorship: In late 2025, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry ramped up its campaign to ban the display of the rainbow flag and other symbols, framing them as a threat to "public morality" and Islamic values.
Transgender Rights: Although the Constitutional Court decriminalized "imitation of the opposite sex" in 2022, transgender people are still frequently targeted under vague "indecency" laws or "digital morality" statutes.
Recent Development
In September 2025, during its Universal Periodic Review at the UN, Kuwait was praised for its domestic violence reforms but faced sharp criticism for its increasing use of the death penalty and the ongoing "Hostage Justice" practices involving pretrial detention of activists.