Doctor Salwa al-Jassar was one of four women elected to the National Assembly of Kuwait in the 2009 legislative election. al-Jassar is the Chief of Center for Empowering Women and ran as an independent candidate. al-Jassar obtained a Bachelor's degree in geography and economics from Kuwait University in 1980, a Master's Degree from the University of Michigan in 1987 and a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh Salwa al-Jassar has worked as a professor at Kuwait University. Salwa al-Jassar had previously authored a report on women in Kuwaiti politics with the United Nations Development Programme.