Social Guarantees in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example

?Comparison between Four Fundamental Individual's Rights, ly Health Care, Social Care, Privacy, and Education, as Mentioned in the Constitution of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Both the states, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are economically strong enough to spend on the fundamental individual’s rights of its people, to ensure adherence to high individual standards, as envisaged in the United Nations directives. Although Saudi Arab and Kuwait are relatively new entrants with relatively less mature legal framework to other advanced countries of the world, yet these states have made huge strides in the matter of empowering their people by safeguarding their health care, social, educational, and privacy interests at policy level. The real issue is that of a comparison between the two wealthy Muslim states to find which state has taken a relatively bigger leap forward in these different individual rights’ aspects, and which area of individual rights has lagged behind, out of the four specified areas, i.e., Health Care, Social Care, Privacy, and Education. The state of Kuwait has a legal framework related to principles and provisions of individual rights, as laid down in the constitution on 11 November 1962. Various Articles of the Kuwaiti constitution ensure the fulfillment of individuals’ rights, such as Article 13 directs that education is a qualification for the growth of society and is ensured and encouraged by the State. Article 11 stipulates that the State shall ensure all citizens help in old age, illness and disability, and shall cover each citizen for providing social security assistance, and health care. Article 41 provides each citizen the right to work and the freedom of selecting work. Various other Articles under chapters II and III of the constitution refer to the equal rights of men and women to education, work, social welfare, and other individual rights (United Nations, 2013). Women are treated at par with men in the area of education and work. Women can empower themselves with higher education to qualify for top corporate positions, as held by men and at the same time enter into motherhood. They are provided all maternity benefits like paid leave on delivery, half-pay for maternity leave and other absenting for child look after needs, while holding her position and rank. They can join their spouse on foreign duty. The Kuwaiti society and government is well aware of the significant part played by women in social awakening through education. To prove the point, a woman is holding the top position of a Kuwaiti university, while two women are holding the post of under-secretary at two ministries, Higher Education and Planning (United Nations, 2013). The Kuwaiti constitution, under Article 12 provides the individuals’right to complete healthcare. Article 11 ensures assistance to citizens in old age, illness and inability to work, and offers both social security and health care. The ministry of Health, under Article 15, inspects that all health-related individual rights are guaranteed. There is provision of maternity and child centers all across Kuwait for securing all citizens from disease and epidemics, such as polio campaign that covered all children (United Nations, 2013). In Kuwait, all preventive and clinical health care services are free. Health-related issues, such as mal-nutrition, clean drinking water get high priority. Environment is yet another area given very high importance to reduce harms from industrialization and urbanization on individuals’ health (United Nations, 2013). Sound health awareness literature is distributed among masses to safeguard and alert them of the risks against diseases. A number of government agencies are part of the health awareness campaign other than the health ministry, including the Kuwaiti Medical Association and the Patient Assistance Fund. Of special mention is the setting up of national AIDS committee. It needs to be taken note that UNICEF has ranked Kuwait among the top nations for healthcare of its people (United Nations, 2013). In the field of education, primary education is free under Article 40 of the constitution. Additional amendments ensure free education till intermediate level. Providing all infrastructures is also the responsibility of the state. Other than various laws, wider strategy-level initiatives for the cause of education have been taken. One can see through government support to education by allocating 10 percent of state’s yearly budget to education sector in 1997-1998. The state-level initiative over the eradication of illiteracy has been furthered by connecting to eradicate adult illiteracy. Various Articles, including Article 20, Articles 15-19, and Article 8 are dedicated to employees’ education (United Nations, 2013). Saudi Arabia is almost parallel to Kuwait in providing and ensuring individuals’ rights of health care, social care, education, and the right to privacy to its citizens. Saudi Arabia’s constitution confers individuals’ rights through a number of Articles dedicated to individuals’ rights, such as Article 27 ensures individuals’ rights of the people in cases of emergency, illness, disability and old age. There exists the Social Insurance Law, supported by the state. Under Article 30 of the constitution, the state of Saudi Arabia is committed to removal of illiteracy and to the cause of public education. Article 31 of the constitution ensures public health and provision of health care for all citizens. Further, Articles 32 and 40 are dedicated for social causes, such as environmental pollution and individuals’ right to privacy in communication through public means like telephone, telegram, and postal communication. It guarantees no confiscation, delay, surveillance or eavesdropping, other than permitted by the Law (Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, 2013). A comparison of Kuwait with Saudi Arab reveals that the depth and number of Articles on various specific individuals’ rights conferred by the state of Kuwait is much more than that of Saudi Arabia. In March 2004 only, the first human rights organization named, National Human Rights Association (NHRA), was set up in Saudi Arab. Any violation to the rights of women is checked by NHRA. Special about individuals’ rights in Saudi Arab, as envisaged in the ‘Riyadh Declaration’ is the right to privacy among other various human rights. Any violation to the right to privacy is a punishable offence, besides other social rights, such as right to respect human dignity, irrespective of an individual’s race, color, and sex (Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, 2008). In the education sector, Saudi Arabia is not far behind; there are 19 public universities, above 100 colleges and above 26,000 schools. Students’ strength is five million, with a student teacher ratio of 11 to 1 - one of the lowest in the world. Relatively to Kuwait, half of the students are females; in Kuwait, the percentage of female students is much higher but the reason behind is that a large number of male students are pursuing their studies in foreign countries, which has misbalanced the stats in favor of higher percentages of females studying than males in Kuwait, which is quite interesting. In 2003, with the formulation of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the state of Saudi Arab has strived to create awareness over consumer rights and secure use of food items, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and electronic goods (Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, 2008). Like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia boasts of an amazingly successful and sophisticated health care and social services system. All citizens come under the network of free health care services, while some of the most modern and specialized care is available to the citizens. Like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia government’s social programs ensure that all citizens have a high living standard. In the past, Saudi Arabia’s health care was traditional, based on local healing, but King Abdulaziz made health care free not only for all citizens but for pilgrims, visiting Islamic holy sites. One can derive that at least in the matter of human values, because holy sites inspire good deeds, the state of Saudi Arabia is ahead of Kuwait by offering free health care to Islamic sites’ visitors as well. The government of Saudi Arabia has been successful in completely eradicating such diseases as malaria and smallpox, increasing infant mortality rate, and life expectancy with its wider network of medical facilities. The state-run five year plans, starting from 1970 have also contributed greatly in the education and health care sectors of Saudi Arabia. Stress was laid initially on creating necessary infrastructure by establishing hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, and research facilities. Later, emphasis shifted towards providing better health care services. The state encouraged study and careers in health care, and took measures to attract medical professionals from abroad. Latest technology was incorporated to get the benefits of medical sophistication. Saudi medical care also formed networks with major specialized hospitals across the world. Comparing Saudi progress on health care front with that of Kuwaiti, it has been slow initially but steadily later, as in 2005 there were 350 hospitals to 74 hospitals in 1970; the number of beds increased amazingly from 9,039 beds in 1970 to about 48,000 beds in 2005. Conclusion Both the states being wealthy, there is no dearth of specialized healthcare facilities. Both the states boast of specialized healthcare, social services, and good care of the education sector. Saudi government’s free medication is available to all citizens through their vast health care network of hospitals, specialty clinics, operating surgeries of serious kind and these are of international standards like their Kuwaiti counterparts. The government provides subsidies so that people can easily afford medicines at reduced rates. Manufacturing of medicines is also highly encouraged by the government. Although presently both the states are modern welfare states but these states have progressed in individuals’ rights by ensuring constitutional changes and initiating amendments in the laws widely. All human rights are secure and legally awarded to the citizens. These are no more traditional states, not interested seriously in the welfare of its people irrespective of social biases; these are modern states, willing to spend heavily on individuals’ needs and rights, thus, becoming the leading countries of the Middle East so far as individuals’ rights are concerned. References Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. (2008). Political, economic and social initiatives: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia: Washington D.C. Retrieved from http://www.saudiembassy.net/files/PDF/Reports/2008Reports/Reform_Report_May08.pdf Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. (2013). The basic law of governance. Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia: Washington D.C. Retrieved from http://www.saudiembassy.net/about/country-information/laws/The_Basic_Law_Of_Governance.aspx United Nations. (2003, Nov. 20). Implementation of the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights. Economic and Social Council. Retrieved from http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/0/af6b02e4ed342076c1256e78004af221/$FILE/G0345291.pdf Read More