Impact of Gender-related Legal Regulations on Pursuing Sustainable Development: A study of Kuwait's National Development Plan (Vision 2035)

Abstract

This paper seeks to analyze the impact of gender inequality on the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 as expressed in the UN Post-Millennium global program. More specifically, it aims to illustrate how gender equality and empowerment are essential to sustainable development and argues that gender-based discrimination hinders national development visions and goals. In order to illustrate the effect of gender inequality on political and economic development, the paper will focus on the institutional and legal discrimination in the Kuwaiti Nationality Law in order to show how structural gender discrimination in public policy will challenge and hinder the Kuwait National Development Plan 2035. Recognizing the complexity of gender, class, and tribal dynamics in Kuwaiti society, and notwithstanding the pitfalls of some of the global development paradigms, the paper contends that gender equality, legally, economically, and politically, provide the most viable platform for achieving and realizing national development aspirations in Kuwait. Finally, this paper will present the challenges and prospects for national development strategies and provide policy recommendations.