Bahrain: Law soon to outlaw violence against women

Khaleej Times

Violence against women will be considered a punishable crime under a law being drafted by a non-governmental organisation.

An announcement in this respect was made by Al Hawar ‘Dialogue’ Society as part of its celebrations of the International Women’s Day.

“The law, being drafted in association with lawmakers, recommends tough punishments for those found guilty of abusing women,” Chairman of the society, Sayed Adnan Jalal, told Khaleej Times. “We would also review international laws concerned as well as similar experiences in the neighbouring countries.”

Jalal said that many lawmakers had welcomed a plan for women’s well-being, especially steps to protect their psychological health.

“We think the law would help raise awareness about the violence against women, especially after a recent survey shows that 35 per cent of people feel that women provoke others to abuse them, while 29 per cent believe that in some cases women promote violence against them.”

Jalal said the increasing violence against women should be tackled by NGOs and other bodies concerned, especially by promoting the laws that could prevent men from causing any physical harm to women.

He stressed the need for the implementation of the family law and an amendment to the penal code to outlaw violence against females.

He attributed the increase in violence against women to the ongoing economic meltdown, saying the crisis is affecting the stability of families.