How important is marital status to the possible success of a parliamentary candidate?

When we choose someone to represent us in parliament, we would ideally like that person to be as socially wholesome as possible and that often means with spouse and perhaps children. This is the traditional outlook.

However, in this day and age in Kuwait, people do divorce and either remain single or go on to remarry.

Should this be held against them as candidates?

I was surprised at the reactions by some women who at the outset are not in favour at all of single women or divorced women to represent them in parliament regardless of social standing or  professional qualifications. Women still see each other as a threat and unmarried women more so.

I invite you to ponder the following points:

* If a woman is divorced, it is not necessarily due to shortcomings on her side. There is a good possibility that she was subject to some injustice and unfair treatment and that may give her more incentive to work to better the lot of other women in government.

* Do we look at a divorced man the same way we perceive a divorced woman? Or are we more lenient?

* What about male candidates who have more than one wife? What does that say about their domestic stability?

* Is it better to have a balanced single, divorced member of parliament or one who is unhappily married but sticking to the institution because of social protocol?

We need to be the change we want to see.

{Setting: A group of ladies at a gathering snacking on mixed nuts, chatting and watching TV. Listening to one conversation, while keeping track of another on another side of the room.}
A stout woman exclaims: Here it is! Here she is! The song I told you about.

Istaghfarallah where is the song?! She is just talking and writhing!

It’s just a show. She’s showing off her body.

{Laughs from a far end of the room}

{The sound of “chak chak” on the mixed nuts gets louder as mouths work faster, all eyes fixed on Mazzika screen}

What’s this? Istaghfarallah!

Haha, leave it! It’s a sight for sore eyes!

Oh! Just listen to her. If a woman says she is a sight for sore eyes, what do you think happens to men when they watch her??

What? I would watch and let him watch with me. It’s only a song for God’s sake. And she is beautiful to look at.

Harrump! She’s fake!

Yes, fake. She’s all put together. All beauty operations. She’s not natural.

{Shoulders shrug, more vigorous eating of nuts, mouths are salty and dry, and salivate more, and eyes are on the screen and on the door, lest any of their husbands come through}

Oweee…I’ve just finished praying, and I come to this.
{Pretty soon she is singing…Mat oulshi lhad! La la!}

Ah, she is beautiful.

Sure, she is gorgeous.

Look at those outfits.

Ha, lets change the channel.

No, lets enjoy ourselves; lets give our eyes a break.

Who are those  guys dancing with her? They look stupefied.

Of course! Look at what she is wearing my dear!

Oh, I love her purple outfit. I’m going to make one just like it!

Haha, you! Look at your body and look at hers! Hahaha

Outfits! Those are negligees! Baby dolls she is dancing in…

Disgusting.

Aah, I’d love to be sitting in that champagne glass like her and bathing.

Haha, ya and have it crack the moment you sit in it.

{They all watch till the end of the song, till the last credits are finished}

Haifa Wahby’s song: Matoulshi lhad (Don’t Tell Anyone)