On Tuesday, October 15, 2002, Dr. al-Hibri spoke at the Residence of the Kuwaiti Ambassador on the subject of women's rights in Islam. The talk was part of a program coordinated by Mrs. Al-Sabah, the spouse of the Kuwaiti Ambassador, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The audience consisted of women involved with the Museum as well as spouses of Arab ambassadors and other Arab women linked to Mosaic, an American charitable foundation sponsored by the spouses of the Arab Ambassadors to the United States.

In her discussion, Dr. al-Hibri emphasized the clarity of the Qur'an in describing both men and women as being created from the same nafs (soul). She also pointed out the way in which many issues pertaining to women's rights, as interpreted by medieval jurists - such as the husband's obligations of household maintenance to the wife - are generally misunderstood by Muslims today.

After Dr. al-Hibri's well-received talk Ms. Al-Sabah spoke about women in Kuwait. She referred to the country as having "one of the most progressive societies in the Arab world," where women make up 34% of the workforce and 70% of university enrollment. In government jobs the ratio of men to women was stated as being 2:1, despite the fact that women in Kuwait still do not vote.