Attack on women fuels gender debate ahead of assembly elections in Kuwait

It's one of a number of attacks, some fatal, against women in recent years that are focusing attention on gender-based violence, political representation and rights as Kuwaitis prepare to vote

After a video of a man beating his wife on a Kuwait sidewalk spread on social media this month, the outcry was swift. Anger grew once local media reported the cause of the assault: the woman had taken a job without her husband’s permission.

It’s one of a number of attacks, some fatal, against women in recent years that are focusing attention on gender-based violence, political representation and economic rights as Kuwaitis prepare to vote Thursday in a rare display of regional democracy.

Kuwait may be the sole Arab Gulf nation to offer its citizens a genuine say in how they