Bahrain: Women seek end to discrimination

MANAMA - Bahraini women yesterday called for massive legislative reforms to eliminate discrimination against them in laws, especially the nationality law that deprive them the right to grant their nationality to their children.

During ceremonies, seminars and gatherings held yesterday to mark the International Day for Women, NGOs and women activists urged for a family law to save women many humiliations and bias they are facing at some courts.

The Women Union held a seminar to discuss women’s affairs in Bahrain and honoured distinguished Bahraini women. Human rights organisations held an event to deliberate mechanisms to remove discriminations against women such as ill-treatments at workplace and domestic violence.

The Bahrain Businesswomen Association announced yesterday an initiative in association with the United Nations to empower women in business by promote them to establish small and medium businesses. The General Secretary of the Supreme Council for Women Lulwa Al Awadhi said that complete equality between men and women wasn’t yet achieved but there were great intentions to fight for better and more rights for women.

Head of Women Union Mariam Al Ruwaee said that Bahrain was keen to empower women but such efforts were clashing sometime with outdated thoughts by the public.

Although women in Bahrain are still fighting for more rights, their achievements have been recognised locally and internationally.

Women have reached high ranking positions like minister of social development, minister of health, Supreme Council for Women (SCW) Deputy Chairwoman, two members at the National Strategy for Women Empowerment, 11 members at the Consultative Council and the Parliament (27.5 per cent of the total number of parliament members), two women at the rank of under-secretary, 13 at the rank of assistant under-secretary, seven members in the judicial authority including three judges at the constitutional court and high and lower civil courts, three attorney-generals, ambassador to China, member of the GCC Advisory Council and President of UN’s 61st General Assembly.

According to a UN Gender Report for 2007-2008, Bahrain occupied the third Arab position and the 42nd rank at the international level, showing higher women competence in comparison with men in health and education domains. In international level, Bahrain occupies the 23rd position internationally in terms of women who got access to primary, secondary and higher education that represented 90 per cent against 82 for men while adult women who can read and write represented 83.6 per cent against only 82 per cent among the male population.

In 2007, Bahraini women won membership to many international women’s organisations and four women, including Shaikha Lulwa bint Mohammed Al Khalifa were nominated for Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of the services they had rendered to women, families and community.

By Suad Hamada, Khaleej Times