n the Shia minority. In addition, the majority of the upper-class comprises members of the Al Sabah family, who are descendants of the Bani Utub, or original settlers. The economic elite is also primarily Sunni (Crystal, 1994).
Girl's and women's pre-oil roles were very traditional. Although most boys were educated, only a minority of girls were provided with education, and this exclusively on the Quran. However, after World War II, the education system was expanded, with a new primary school for girls. In 1956, the government provided for kindergarten, primary, middle, and secondary schools for both boys and girls and, in 1965, education was made compulsory through the age of 14 (Crystal, 1994).
The history of Kuwait provides background for understanding the current situation of women in that country. Their roles and status are largely created through the interplay of three forces: Islam, tribal characteristics, and modernization. In order to understand how those forces operate, we will
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