Kuwait has nominated its former planning and development minister Rola Dashti to replace Rima Khalaf as UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Executive Secretary, Kuwaiti daily Al Jareeda reported on Monday.

Khalaf, a Jordanian, resigned on Friday after the UN pressured her to withdraw a report accusing Israel of apartheid over its treatment of Palestinians.

Dashti, who holds degrees from three US universities, including a PhD in Population Economics from Johns Hopkins University, is a leading Kuwaiti economist and women’s rights activist who made history in 2009 when she and three others became the first women to be elected to the Kuwaiti Parliament.

As a lawmaker, she chaired the social affairs, labour, and health committee and was also appointed as member of the budget committee.

In July 2012, she was appointed state minister for planning and development and state minister for National Assembly affairs. She was the only woman in the newly formed Cabinet.

She was re-appointed as Planning, Development and State Minister for National Assembly Affairs in December 2012

source : gulfnews