SDG5: GENDER EQUALITY
Government Support for Women in Kuwait:
- Legal Framework: Kuwait has established a robust legal framework that upholds women's rights, including laws related to marriage, divorce, and inheritance.
- Education: The government has invested heavily in women's education, ensuring that girls have equal access to quality education at all levels. Kuwaiti women now outnumber men in universities.
- Economic Empowerment: Kuwaiti women are active in various sectors of the economy, with increasing representation in the workforce. The government promotes equal opportunities for women in employment and entrepreneurship.
- Political Participation: Kuwaiti women have made significant progress in political participation, with the right to vote and run for office granted in 2005. Kuwaiti women have since held important positions in the government.
- Healthcare: Kuwait provides comprehensive healthcare services to all citizens, regardless of gender, ensuring access to quality healthcare for women.
GUST's Commitment to Gender Equality:
At Gulf University for Science and Technology, equality is not limited to policy; it is reflected in everyday practice. The university is deeply committed to creating an environment where both men and women have equal access to education, leadership opportunities, and professional growth.
Women play a key role at GUST as students, faculty, researchers, and administrators. Their presence in academic and leadership positions demonstrates the university’s dedication to inclusivity and empowerment. GUST ensures that all genders are given the same opportunities to contribute to teaching, research, innovation, and decision-making across all departments.
GUST actively supports women's empowerment through various initiatives:
Gender-Neutral Admissions: GUST ensures gender-neutral admissions, providing equal opportunities for both women and men to pursue higher education.
Women's Leadership Programs: The university offers leadership development programs that empower female students to take on leadership roles on campus and beyond.
Gender-Responsive Curriculum: GUST integrates gender-related topics into its curriculum to foster awareness and promote gender equality.
Support Services: The university provides support services and resources to help female students excel academically and professionally, including mentorship programs and career counseling.
Advocacy: GUST participates in advocacy efforts to raise awareness about gender equality and women's rights, both within the campus community and through collaborations with external organizations.
Student Admission Requirements:
GUST ensures equal access to higher education for all students, regardless of gender. The university continuously monitors student enrollment trends to maintain balanced representation between male and female applicants.
GUST welcomes applications from students from all types of schools and backgrounds. We provide our students with the best educational resources and services to promote intellectual growth and career advancement. From the academic challenges encountered when adjusting to university life to the various campus activities offered for students, GUST has a diverse collection of resources available to help our students succeed both academically and personally.
Gulf University for Science and Technology takes women’s applications, acceptance and completion rates very seriously. The Admission and Registration departments track and measure the rates mentioned on a regular basis to align with SDG 5.3.1. GUST also tracks both undergrads and postgrads female/male, international/local, and other ratios for admitted, enrolled and graduated students.
Scholarship Programs at GUST
GUST ensures equal access to higher education for all students through a comprehensive scholarship program that supports academic achievement, financial need, and excellence. These scholarships are available to all eligible students, male and female alike, ensuring fair opportunity and promoting inclusivity across all disciplines (SDG 5.3.2).
The university offers 3 main types of scholarships:
Shaikh Jaber Scholarship:
Exclusively available to Kuwaiti students, this scholarship provides a partial tuition discount each semester for students who maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 and have completed at least 15 credits.
Outstanding Scholarship:
Awarded to students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher who have completed at least 45 credits, this scholarship grants a percentage discount on tuition fees each semester. Applications are announced at the start of every semester and submitted online through the official GUST portal.
Merit Scholarship:
This full four-year scholarship is granted to newly admitted students who achieve a high school average of 90% or above and successfully pass the GUST placement test without requiring foundation courses.
Women’s Access and Empowerment in Athletics
At GUST, equal opportunity extends beyond academics to all aspects of university life, including sports and physical development. The university ensures that both male and female students have equal access to athletic programs, training, and facilities.
All athletes, regardless of gender, train under the same coaching staff to guarantee equal access to expertise and professional guidance. Participation rates are closely monitored through end-of-season surveys to track progress and identify areas for improvement in encouraging more female involvement in athletics.
Female athletes receive dedicated weekly training sessions to enhance their skills (Indicator 5.3.3), and scouts from national teams are regularly invited to identify talented players who may advance to professional levels. Exceptional female athletes who demonstrate both athletic talent and strong academic performance are also eligible for scholarship opportunities.
To further promote inclusivity and growth, the university continues to introduce women’s teams in national athletic tournaments and expand the number of competitions available (Indicator 5.3.4). Female graduates are also granted continued access to university athletic facilities, reinforcing GUST’s commitment to supporting women’s health, empowerment, and success beyond their academic years.
Research on Gender Equality
At GUST, advancing gender equality through research is a vital part of our mission. One notable contribution is the publication “When Trade Agreements Are Gender-Friendly: Impact on Women Empowerment using Firm Data”, co-authored by Dr. Fida Karam, Professor of Economics at GUST, and Dr. Chahir Zaki from the University of Orléans. The study, published in the Journal of Economic Integration (2024), explores how gender-related provisions in regional trade agreements influence women’s representation in managerial and ownership roles at the firm level.
Using data from over 195,000 firms in 155 countries across 56 sectors, the paper provides strong evidence that trade agreements containing gender-focused clauses are linked to greater female participation in leadership and ownership, particularly in developed economies. The findings emphasize the growing importance of integrating gender perspectives into international trade policy to promote women’s empowerment and inclusive economic growth.
She Succeeds – Leadership Program for Female Students
GUST, in collaboration with the Intissar Foundation and the British Council, is proud to host the “She Succeeds” program, a free six-week leadership and mentoring initiative, it is designed specifically for female students, thus supporting SDG 5 indicator 5.3.3 and 5.6.6 . Starting from April 2024, this pioneering program used interactive, theatre-based workshops to develop key leadership skills and empower young women to excel in their careers.
Participants gain practical tools to boost self-confidence, strengthen emotional intelligence, and enhance communication skills, while learning how to navigate professional and social environments effectively. The program also provides opportunities to build a supportive network of like-minded women leaders, gain guidance from mentors, and earn a completion certificate along with exclusive benefits to support their career journey.
Through this initiative, GUST demonstrates its commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women by providing accessible, high-quality training that prepares future leaders to thrive in any field.
Role of Women in Tech Seminar
On March 10, 2025, the Computer Science Department at Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) hosted an engaging public seminar titled “Role of Women in Tech”. Organized in celebration of International Women’s Day, the event welcomed community members and offered an inclusive space to learn about the expanding influence of women in technology and their contributions to innovation, which aligns with indicator 5.3.4.
The seminar featured three distinguished speakers who shared insights from diverse professional perspectives:
• Dr. Hana Alostad (Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research) – highlighting the computer science and research front
• Dr. Rita W. El-Haddad (American University of Kuwait) – focusing on the psychology and human-centered aspects of technology
• Ms. Abeer AlFarhan (Huawei) – presenting the corporate and industry leadership perspective
Their discussions inspired students and attendees to reflect on gender equity, AI advancement, and the future of tech education, which aligns strongly with the goals of lifelong learning and empowerment. The event was concluded with a recognition ceremony honoring the speakers for their contributions.
Women Empowerment and Equality Seminar Series
As part of GUST’s ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality and empowering women, the university hosted the Women Empowerment and Equality Seminar Series, featuring inspiring talks by accomplished women from various professional sectors. The sessions explored key themes such as leadership impact on building inclusive workplaces, the roles and responsibilities of different types of managers, and the importance of self-awareness and self-belief in professional growth.
Through these discussions, students and staff gained valuable insights into fostering equitable environments, developing leadership confidence, and driving positive change within their organizations.
Breast Cancer Awareness Week at GUST
In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the PR Club organized “GUST Goes Pink”, a week-long campaign held in October 2025 to promote women’s health and awareness. The event featured interactive activities, including a pink ribbon wall where students and staff left messages of love and hope, along with giveaways to engage participants.
A highlight of the campaign was an educational seminar led by Dr. Nadia Almahmoud, who discussed breast cancer prevention, early detection, and the importance of regular screening. The event encouraged open conversations about women’s health and strengthened the community’s commitment to supporting women’s well-being through awareness and education.
Supporting Student Academic Growth and Graduation
At GUST, we are committed to ensuring that every student, regardless of gender, age, or nationality, has equal opportunities to successfully complete their academic journey. The university actively tracks and monitors graduation rates through internal dashboards that help identify patterns and areas where additional support may be needed (SDG 5.6.7).
To ensure that all students progress toward graduation smoothly, GUST’s Office of Student Life (OSL) provides a wide range of academic support services. This includes free tutoring sessions at the Tutoring Center, where trained student tutors assist peers with challenging coursework. Students who may be struggling are identified early and connected with the necessary academic resources, mentoring, and personalized support. These initiatives help maintain high graduation rates across all demographics, reflecting GUST’s commitment to academic excellence, inclusivity, and student success.
Policy for Non-discrimination
GUST code of Conduct Policy was issued in October 2nd 2013 and slightly modified in April 12th 2022. In GUST Code of Conduct Policy, article I, Our commitment states:
The Gulf University of Science & Technology (GUST) is committed to the highest level of integrity and honesty in all of its affairs, without any kind of discrimination against women.
Policy for Equal Employment Opportunity
• It is GUST’s policy to recruit, employ and promote employees on the basis of their skills, qualifications and abilities required for the work to be performed, with no discrimination to race, color, religion, sex, age, social status, physical or mental disability or any other factor (SDG 5.6.1)
• If outsourcing activities to third parties needed, then GUST takes all appropriate measures to ensure the equivalent rights of employees are met.
Policy Against Harassment
GUST is committed to provide all employees with a work place that is free from harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, social status, physical or mental disability or any other factor. Harassment include all actions of verbal harassment, physical harassment, visual harassment or sexual harassment.
GUST Grievances Policy
GUST employees have the right to raise their grievances through proper reporting channels for any issues while protecting them from educational or employment disadvantage (SDG 5.6.8)
GUST follows a clear two-step grievance procedure to ensure fair resolution of employee concerns. Employees are first encouraged to address issues informally with their immediate supervisor. If the matter remains unresolved, they may submit a formal written complaint to their Dean, Director, or Vice President, who will review and decide on the case within five working days. Should the employee remain unsatisfied, an appeal can be made to the HR Department, which will evaluate the case and determine whether to discuss with a Grievance Committee.
To protect those reporting any employment disadvantages, the requirement section in the procedure policy states that HR treats grievance cases as confidential related matter.
Maternity Leave Policy:
Employees:
At GUST, we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment that prioritizes the well-being of our employees and their families. In accordance with Article 24 of Kuwait’s Labor Law, all female employees are entitled to 70 days of paid maternity leave, which may include up to 30 days before delivery and 40 days after delivery. This leave is granted upon submission of a valid medical certificate, ensuring that mothers receive the necessary time to prepare for childbirth and recover afterward (SDG 5.6.3)
Beyond the paid leave period, if medically required, an extra four months of unpaid leave may also be approved to safeguard the health of the mother or newborn, based on supporting medical documentation. Upon returning to work, new mothers are entitled to a one-hour reduction in their daily working hours during the nursing period, reinforcing GUST’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a family-friendly and compassionate workplace.
Students:
Students are allowed excused absences for certain cases such as: hospital admission, maternity leave, sports leave or death of first-degree relatives. This means the student is allowed make up any missed assessments and submit any delayed work. Absences are also removed for the predefined time period, depending on the type of absence request. Documentation must be provided to the OSC advisor so faculty are notified.
For maternity leave, female students are allowed 2 weeks of absence from classes and can make up any missed course work.
Paternity Leave Policy:
GUST recognizes the importance of family support during the arrival of a new child and values the role of fathers in this significant life event. In line with Kuwait Labor Law, male employees are entitled to three days of paid paternity leave upon the birth of their child (SDG 5.6.9). To avail this leave, employees must submit a birth certificate or medical certificate confirming the birth. This policy ensures that fathers have the opportunity to support their families and participate in the early moments of parenthood while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
