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Bahraini women are a key partner in the kingdom’s comprehensive development, as endorsed by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. His statement came as he paid a visit to the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), where he met with the wife of His Majesty the King and SCW president, Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
HRH Prince Salman paid the visit as Bahrain celebrates a significant milestone—the 22nd anniversary of SCW’s establishment. The national occasion, which falls on August 22, shines a spotlight on the remarkable efforts and contributions of the organisation, as well as the remarkable achievements and progress made by Bahraini women. The role of the SCW is a crucial element in the comprehensive development process led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Since its establishment in 2001, the organisation, chaired by HRH Princess Sabeeka, has played a pivotal role in empowering and advancing Bahraini women, enabling them to reach their full potential in all fields.
Prince Salman, who highlighted Team Bahrain’s efforts in advancing Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals under the leadership of His Majesty the King, underlined the executive positions and leadership roles that Bahraini women have attained within Team Bahrain, duly acknowledging the efforts of SCW under HRH Princess Sabeeka.
HRH also expressed pride in the progress made by Bahraini women through their creativity and innovation, commending their efforts across public and private sector workstreams. He emphasised that the SCW’s 22nd anniversary is a testament to the accomplishments it has achieved in supporting Bahraini women through its various strategies, programmes, and initiatives, led by HRH Princess Sabeeka.
Highlighting the SCW’s efforts under the leadership of HRH Princess Sabeeka, he cited the role the organisation played in realising HM the King’s far-reaching vision for Bahraini women’s empowerment. He further emphasised the government scommitment to fully implement His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s aspirations by supporting the SCW’s wide-ranging women’s empowerment programmes. In this regard, Prince Salman noted that Bahraini women are a key partner in the Kingdom’s comprehensive development.
Meanwhile, commenting on the occasion, HRH Princess Sabeeka expressed her appreciation for HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s commitment to government development programmes that support the Kingdom’s comprehensive development, led by His Majesty King Hamad. She affirmed HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s commitment to advancing Bahraini women’s contributions to the national economy.
She also highlighted the confidence His Royal Highness has in Bahraini women’s capabilities, including their pivotal role alongside Bahraini men in furthering the kingdom’s development. HRH Princess Sabeeka commended the coordination between the SCW and the public sector, which aligns with HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s directives and has helped sustain Bahraini women’s advancement across all workstreams. She welcomed HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s visit to the SCW, adding that it is a testament to the public sector’s ongoing support for the Council and its far-reaching goals. She also emphasised the SCW’s commitment to align its workstreams with the government’s programmes to support Bahraini women and ensure that the Kingdom continues to hold a good gender gap ranking globally. Over the years, the SCW’s organisational structure provided a thorough examination of the reality of women in Bahrain and laid the foundation for future progress. It built upon the engagement of Bahraini women in society throughout the past century, promoting increased participation and enjoyment of national rights. The SCW developed strategic initiatives that aligned with its goals and the national mechanism for women’s affairs. These efforts also complemented the work of civil society organisations, resulting in a comprehensive and sustainable framework that continues to benefit Bahraini women.
Under royal directives, SCW has successfully advanced Bahraini women on a strong foundation. As a result, Bahrain has become one of the leading countries in the region and the world in terms of women’s empowerment, gender equity, and meeting the needs of women. The SCW’s achievements have gained recognition both regionally and internationally and are considered a worthy model for other countries to follow by women-focused international institutions. These successes are a reflection of the council’s mission, which aims to promote family stability and community cohesion and enhance the participation of women in the development process on an equal footing. The council strives to integrate women’s needs and ensure equal opportunities, providing them with renewed opportunities for personal growth, a better quality of life, and lifelong learning. By collaborating with partners and allies, the SCW has established itself as a national centre of expertise in women’s affairs.
In 2022, Bahraini women accounted for approximately 43 per cent of the total national workforce. In the public sector, women represented 56pc of the workforce, while in the private sector, women made up 35pc of the workforce. Additionally, 44pc of active commercial registration owners were women. The accomplishments of the SCW over the past 22 years have been recognised in various international reports and indices assessing the status of women. According to the Gender Gap Report released by the World Economic Forum on June 21, 2023, Bahrain has made significant progress and now ranks second in the GCC in terms of reducing the global gender gap. Bahrain achieved a score of 66.6pc in the report, surpassing the global average of 68pc. This improvement resulted in Bahrain moving up six places to third in the Middle East and North Africa region compared to last year’s rankings.
The SCW has become an authoritative source of expertise and knowledge in women’s affairs at regional and international levels. Through partnerships with specialised international organisations, agencies, and bodies, Bahrain was able to secure membership in the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women from 2017 to 2021. Additionally, Bahrain obtained membership in the Executive Council of UN Women from 2017 to 2019 and took on the presidency of the 36th session of the Arab Women’s Committee of the League of Arab States. The SCW’s efforts were recognised with the Honorary Award for Excellence in the Field of Arab Family Care in 2020, presented by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility. Furthermore, the SCW led the team responsible for preparing the joint GCC action strategy in the field of women.