It was a big day for Kuwaiti women yesterday. For the first time ever, women in Kuwait were allowed to exercise the duty American women take for granted. American women shouldn't though because we've only had the vote for 86 years. That's right, less than 100 years. Kuwaiti women voted yesterday. Didn't hear about it? Didn't seem to make a big splash in the US and what few stories that were released about it didn't emphasize the fact that only women who follow Islamic law were allowed to vote. Not even NPR used that fact in their story. In the first 10 results in a Google News search, only 1 US news source is listed. Why? According to Adam Hanft at Huffington Post, it's all about Iraq.

It's hard to explain away the fact that it took 15 years after we went to war to liberate Kuwait, to finally give women the opportunity to vote. And not all women, mind you, only women who follow Islamic law. If it's taken this long to change a tiny slice of the culture in Kuwait, what message does that send about the timeframe in Iraq?

What indeed? This only illustrates how woeful women's rights are around the world and how American politicians just don't care ... or get it ... or something. This is why it's so important for us to keep speaking up, keep going to the polls, letting those in power know that we are fed up and it's a time for change.