Kawthar Al-Jouan
Dr Abdullah Al-Shuraika
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Forum urges more academic freedom, support for deaf students in Kuwait
KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti advocate is calling for integrating sign language into all stages of education — treating it like any second language — to help drive societal development and progress. Speaking at the Fifth Kuwaiti Deaf Day Forum, held under the slogan “The Deaf’s Voice… and Kuwait’s Vision 2035,” Kawthar Al-Jouan, Head of the Women’s Institute for Development and Peace, urged authorities to allow deaf students to freely choose their academic majors and fields of study at Kuwait University and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), without restrictions. She stressed the need for equal access to scholarships abroad and medical treatment missions when services are not available locally.
“We are committed to supporting this vital group, who possess full legal capacity just like the rest of us. They may have lost one form of expression, but they have not lost the language of challenge, achievement, and contribution,” she said, emphasizing her belief that the hearing-impaired and other groups form a beautiful, united fabric of Kuwaiti society.
The forum — organized by the Women’s Institute for Development and Peace at the Arab Center for Educational Research for the Gulf States — tackled four key themes: education, legal rights, health, and social integration. Minister of Education Jalal Al-Tabtabaei said the ministry has made “steady and determined progress” on development projects that strengthen the inclusion of hearing-impaired individuals in society and reaffirmed Kuwait’s commitment to meeting its international obligations, particularly under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Minister Al-Tabtabaei also noted that Kuwait’s support for the hearing-impaired dates back to the establishment of the first specialized school — Amal Schools — in the 1959–1960 academic year. Dr Abdullah Al-Shuraika, Director of the Center for Moderation at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, praised the forum as a reflection of Kuwait’s humanitarian values and respect for human rights. He commended the Minister of Education’s participation and emphasized the importance of further reform and development in the education sector to better serve the deaf community.
Al-Jouan has previously highlighted the inability of deaf students to select their preferred majors and the persistent lack of qualified sign language interpreters at Kuwait University and PAAET as major challenges. The shortage of sign language interpreters at public institutions has been extensively documented by the media. Advocates have long urged for improved services for the deaf community, highlighting persistent gaps in support. Numerous reports have detailed the challenges deaf students face — particularly the lack of interpreters — which severely hinders their ability to communicate with faculty, understand course material, and fully participate in academic life.
In its efforts to improve services for the deaf, Kuwait University has a Special Needs Department under the Deanship of Student Affairs, which provides highly qualified sign language interpreters. The university has also published awareness videos in sign language on its social media accounts, and provided periodic training courses for students and faculty. In 2022, a specialized committee was established to work toward integrating sign language into the curriculum, although no public updates have been issued since. — Agencies
KUWAIT: Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Chairman of the Public Authority for Industry (PAI) Khalifa Al-Ajeel said on Monday that protecting the commercial and industrial system is a “national responsibility that requires concerted efforts.”
Minister Al-Ajeel emphasized in a statement to KUNA following an extensive inspection campaign in the south Amghara scrap yard, to “firmly deal with all violations and encroachments in accordance with legal frameworks where no one is above the law.”
Al-Ajeel confirmed the continuation of inspection campaigns as well until the desired goals are reached, foremost being is restoring order and discipline to the area and removing all violations and encroachments.
He affirmed the ministry and the PAI’s commitment to cooperating with relevant authorities to continue these campaigns to ensure a safe and organized industrial and commercial environment.
The campaign resulted in the seizure of several violations and closure of several non-compliant units in preparation for taking necessary legal action against their exploiters.
Participating in the campaign was General Fire Force (KFF) Chief Major General Talal Al-Roumi, along with several executive leaders from the PAI. — KUNA
CAIRO: The 56th regular session of the Arab Permanent Committee for Human Rights commenced on Monday with the participation of Kuwait and representatives from Arab states concerned with human rights affairs. In his opening address, Ahmed Maghari, supervisor of the Human Rights Department at the League of Arab States, underscored the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling it a stark indicator of the region’s human rights reality. “We cannot speak of the state of human rights without acknowledging the catastrophic conditions faced by our brothers in Gaza, where securing the most basic necessities has become a matter of survival,” he said. Maghari described the ongoing Zionist aggression in Gaza as a profound moral and humanitarian challenge, noting that the Palestinian people continue to endure daily suffering under constant bombardment, displacement and destruction. He lamented the international community’s continued inaction in the face of clear violations of international law and human rights norms. “The occupying power persists in defying international legitimacy and the decisions of the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the International Court of Justice,” he said.
The 56th session of the Arab Permanent Committee on Human Rights kicks off, chaired by Kuwait.- KUNA photos
Held at a time of mounting regional tensions, the session comes amid escalating challenges that directly affect fundamental human rights. Maghari highlighted the Committee’s historic role since its establishment in 1968 in developing the Arab human rights framework both legally and practically, while also fostering cooperation with regional and international partners. He expressed hope that the session would yield effective recommendations to help confront the pressing challenges in the region. He pointed to the rise of conflicts and violence globally, along with the resulting serious human rights violations, as major concerns.
Emerging issues such as the intersection of human rights with climate change, artificial intelligence, and the spread of alien ideologies that undermine human dignity were also noted. “In light of these challenges, we must reinforce our solidarity and collective action to enhance peace, stability, and the security of our societies,” Maghari added. The two-day session, chaired by Ambassador Talal Al-Mutairi, Chairman of the Arab Permanent Committee for Human Rights, will review the General Secretariat’s report on the implementation of previous recommendations up to the 55th session.
Discussions will also focus on Zionist violations in occupied Arab territories, the plight of Arab prisoners and detainees in Zionist prisons, and the issue of the bodies of Palestinian and Arab martyrs held in so-called “numbered cemeteries.” Other agenda items include the Arab Charter on Human Rights and preparations for Arab Human Rights Day, which will be observed on March 16, 2026. Kuwait is represented at the meeting by a delegation led by Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah.— KUNA
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