Factbox: Where can women vote?

Kuwait's parliament has passed a law granting women the right to vote and run in elections for the first time in the Gulf Arab state.

Here is a factbox on the state of female suffrage in some countries around the world.

COUNTRIES WHERE WOMEN CANNOT VOTE

* Saudi Arabia -- Bars women from standing in elections or voting. However the head of the electoral commission said this month that he would recommend women vote in the next municipal council elections due in 2009.

* Vatican City -- Voting for the Pope, who is the Vatican's head of state, is restricted to the all-male College of Cardinals.

* Brunei -- Denies men and women a vote.

* United Arab Emirates -- Denies men and women a vote.

* Bhutan -- One vote per family in village-level elections.

COUNTRIES WHERE WOMEN RECENTLY GRANTED SUFFRAGE

* Oman -- Sultan Qaboos bin Said extended voting rights to all citizens aged 21 or over in 2002.

* Bahrain -- In 2002, women were allowed to take part in national elections for the first time.

* Qatar -- Women allowed to vote in parliamentary elections in 2003, although women did vote in municipal elections in 2000.

- REUTERS