SCW and IPA sign MoU
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deliver specialised training programmes aligned with the Council's goals on gender balance, women's integration, and equal opportunities. The agreement also covers collaboration in leadership development, data sharing, joint research, consulting, awareness events, and support for the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women (2025 – 2026).
A joint working team will oversee implementation, evaluate outcomes, and submit annual progress reports.
BNA(R)
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10 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain Targets Women's Leadership : SCW unveils 2025–2026 national roadmap
TDT | Manama Bahraini women are set to enter a new chapter of national development, focusing on assuming top leadership roles under a newly approved national plan by the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) for 2025 and 2026. New roadmap Titled 'Bahraini Women: Empowerment, Progress and Striving for Leadership', the plan was endorsed by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and President of the SCW. It identifies four priority areas: family stability, decision-making, economic participation, and quality of life. Each area includes initiatives grouped under five axes: policy, budgeting, awareness and training, auditing, and evaluation. The two-year strategy builds on nearly two decades of institutional efforts to support women and aims to shift the focus from empowerment to leadership in both public and private spheres. From progress to power Unlike previous national strategies that concentrated on inclusion, the new plan signals a transition towards top-level leadership. It promotes women's access to senior roles across sectors, especially in fields such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and digital transformation. According to the SCW, Bahraini women now constitute 60 percent of the government workforce, with half of them in executive roles. In the private sector, women make up 36 percent of the total workforce and hold 36 percent of executive positions. The number of virtual commercial records owned by women reached 1,220 by 2024, representing 54 percent. Institutional partnership The plan introduces an implementation framework that engages government, private, and civil society sectors. This cooperative structure ensures shared national responsibility for advancing women, with clear roles and coordinated action. Among its goals are increased female participation on corporate boards, greater involvement in civil society leadership, and supportive family policies that allow women to balance personal and professional commitments. Forward strategy To improve quality of life, the plan outlines initiatives related to health, safety, and environmental awareness. It also includes programs to expand women's sports and improve support services in workplaces. By aligning with Bahrain's Vision 2030 and upcoming Vision 2050, the SCW aims to position Bahraini women as key contributors to sustainable development and economic growth.
Biz Bahrain
19 hours ago
- Biz Bahrain
SCW launches National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women 2025–2026
The Supreme Council for Women (SCW), chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty the King, has launched the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women 2025–2026. The plan focuses on four priority areas: family stability, decision making, economic participation, and quality of life. Each area includes initiatives across five key dimensions: policies, gender responsive budgeting, awareness and training, auditing and oversight, and monitoring and evaluation. The National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women 2025–2026 was developed based on solid foundations derived from national principles and frameworks, including the Royal Decree establishing the Supreme Council for Women, its direct affiliation to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and its presidency by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty the King. The plan is further grounded in the Council's mandate as outlined in Royal Decree (44) of 2001 and its amendments, the components of the National Strategy for the Advancement of Bahraini Women endorsed by His Majesty the King in 2005, as well as previous national plans for 2007–2012 and 2013–2022, and the evaluation report of the 2013–2022 plan. The plan also draws inspiration from Bahrain Economic Vision 2030, the aspirations of Vision 2050, the Government Programme, and the National Gender Balance Model. It aligns with the concluding observations on Bahrain's international mandatory and voluntary reports, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). 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This approach aims to sustain the achievements of Bahraini women, enabling them to carry out their national responsibilities with competence and distinction. The plan adopts a rigorous scientific methodology in analysing the current status of Bahraini women. Within each of its four focus areas, the plan includes a dedicated component for follow up and evaluation, centred on impact assessment. This involves presenting detailed diagnostics based on the latest official data and statistics, alongside key performance indicators designed to measure progress toward the objectives of each area. These indicators evaluate the efficiency, impact, and effectiveness of the related initiatives. The resulting assessments provide a clear picture of the current situation and a comprehensive evaluation of the implementation outcomes. This forms the basis for setting future goals and formulating the necessary plans to maintain progress. An assessment of the current participation of Bahraini women reveals a notable increase in their presence across key sectors, disciplines, and fields. Bahraini women have moved beyond the empowerment phase in political and public life, advancing toward leadership by assuming decision making roles. They have held ministerial posts in areas such as health, housing, tourism, youth, and sustainable development, in addition to executive positions across both the public and private sectors. This progression reflects broader trends in gender participation indicators and highlights a growing societal awareness of the importance of women's engagement in public affairs. Bahraini women have established a strong presence in elected councils and made significant strides within the legislative authority, including holding leadership roles such as the presidency of the Council of Representatives. They have also taken on key roles in municipal councils, the judiciary, and the Public Prosecution. These achievements reflect the success of a structured institutional approach rooted in firm national principles. This approach has been driven by the Supreme Council for Women since its establishment, through mechanisms such as memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements with ministries and official institutions, integration of the national plan into the government action programme, and implementation of the national model for gender balance. In terms of political participation, women held eight seats in the Council of Representatives in 2023, accounting for 20% of its membership. In the Shura Council, ten women served, representing 25%. Women also held three seats in municipal councils, or 10%, and four seats in the Capital Trustees Board, accounting for 40% in 2023. Additionally, a Bahraini woman assumed the presidency of the Council of Representatives in 2018. In specialised sectors, Bahraini women continued to demonstrate strong representation. As of 2024, there were 2,798 Bahraini female doctors, comprising 66% of the total, and 3,657 Bahraini female nurses, accounting for 83%. In higher education, the number of Bahraini female academics reached 536 in 2023, representing 55% of the academic workforce. Additionally, there were 436 Bahraini female engineers in the public sector in 2024, making up 37%. The National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women 2025–2026 focuses on continuing efforts to close existing gaps and implement outstanding priorities from previous plans to support women's participation and achieve gender balance in sectors where women remain in the stages of empowerment or advancement. It seeks to promote family stability for women by further developing the legislative framework, strengthening social protection policies, and raising legal and family awareness. The plan also underscores the importance of enhancing women's role within the family and society, preserving national values and identity, and maintaining the presence of women in leadership positions and decision making roles across various sectors. In addition, the plan's directions include continued efforts to strengthen women's status in private sector institutions, increase their participation on corporate boards and in civil society organisations, and enhance their economic position to ensure sustainable economic engagement in the labour market. The plan places particular focus on emerging and promising fields, especially in technology sectors such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and digital transformation. It aims to achieve equal opportunities and provide legal safeguards that help women balance family responsibilities with their professional roles. Further, it promotes awareness of healthy lifestyle practices and environmental wellbeing to enhance women's quality of life, improve workplace safety services, and raise awareness of the impact of climate change on women's health while empowering their contribution to environmental preservation. These integrated pillars align with royal directives, constitutional rights, and the mandate of the Supreme Council for Women, and support the Council's goals of empowering Bahraini women, advancing their achievements, and fostering leadership. The plan establishes a clear institutional framework for implementing initiatives across its four focus areas. This framework precisely defines the roles and responsibilities of all relevant stakeholders, emphasising effective coordination mechanisms between government institutions, the private sector, and civil society organisations. This institutional approach ensures that implementation is not confined to a single entity but is treated as a shared national responsibility involving various specialised bodies. It reflects the maturity of Bahrain's approach to women's empowerment and its commitment to enhancing institutional cooperation to achieve the plan's intended objectives. The plan presents an ambitious vision that focuses on increasing women's economic participation while diversifying employment opportunities available to them. It places particular emphasis on emerging and modern sectors such as technology and the digital economy, ensuring alignment with the future needs of the labour. This forward looking approach positions women's empowerment as a key driver of economic development and emphasises their role as essential partners in shaping the future of the nation. The inclusion of family stability as a core priority in the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women 2025–2026 reflects the Supreme Council for Women's recognition of the vital role of women as active partners in building the nation, the family, and society. It underscores the importance of preserving national values and the authentic identity of the Bahraini family, and of ensuring a stable family environment that supports women's empowerment and enables them to balance their multiple roles. The Council's focus on promoting family stability stems from the value placed on strong familial and social cohesion, and the importance of enhancing women's capacity to contribute competitively to national development. This is pursued within a framework of equal opportunities and the integration of women's needs into development processes, enabling women to access new opportunities for advancing their choices and achieving a healthy balance between personal and professional life. 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Within the domain of economic participation, the plan aims to continue efforts to review and enhance policies, regulations, and frameworks that support and strengthen the role of women in the economic sector. It seeks to ensure the sustainability of women's active participation in the labour market and entrepreneurship, while promoting equal opportunities and gender balance. The plan also focuses on highlighting exemplary female figures and their leadership in various economic fields. Special attention is given to emerging and promising areas, particularly within technological sectors such as artificial intelligence, digital content creation, digital transformation, information technology, financial technology, telecommunications, renewable energy, and modern sciences. The plan further emphasises the importance of providing legal protections to help women balance their family responsibilities with professional commitments. The domain of quality of life includes the implementation of initiatives and awareness programmes aimed at promoting healthy, safe, and sustainable lifestyle practices for Bahraini women and their families. It also focuses on improving workplace safety services for women, supporting women's sports, and providing the necessary facilities to help women achieve a balanced and fulfilling quality of life. These efforts complement national initiatives in the area of wellbeing, where Bahrain has made significant progress in promoting women's health and safety. The Kingdom continues to advance in this area in line with efforts to ensure that Bahraini women have access to diverse and evolving options for improving their quality of life. This is supported by enabling legislation, supportive policies, and the strategic partnerships of the Supreme Council for Women with national stakeholders committed to institutional progress for women. Based on the framework outlined in the plan, the forthcoming phase of the Supreme Council for Women's work beyond 2026 will focus on marking a new stage in the advancement of Bahraini women. This stage will represent a shift from empowerment and progress to the pursuit of leadership. The Council aspires to support Bahraini women in reaching new heights of distinguished leadership across various domains. This strategic transformation builds on years of dedicated efforts in the area of women's empowerment, in line with the Council's mandate, which has yielded tangible programmes and achievements at the local, regional, and international levels. BNA(R)
Daily Tribune
05-07-2025
- Daily Tribune
More women in whitecoats, courtrooms and cabinet
Two-thirds of the doctors in the Kingdom are now women, along with more than 80 per cent of nurses. This is according to the latest report published by the Supreme Council for Women. The report, which marks a clear shift from 2007, says that six in ten public sector jobs are now in the hands of Bahraini women. This is also the highest level recorded so far, with women holding 64% of specialist roles. To put this in perspective: back in 2007, fewer than four in ten government employees were women. The report, covering the year 2025, shows steady progress in areas that were once mostly male-dominated. 57% in universities and law firms In universities—both public and private—women now hold 57% of teaching posts. Five years ago, that number was 49%. The legal field shows a similar trend. Today, 57% of Bahraini lawyers are women, compared to a fifty-fifty split just ten years ago. Still behind in judiciary and engineering The number of women in engineering has gone up to 37%, from 30% in 2017. The judiciary, however, is still largely male. Women make up 14% of judges—but that's still a big jump from when they had almost no presence in the courts. Half the executives are women Women have also made big strides in leadership. They now hold half of all executive-level jobs in the public sector, and nearly two-thirds of specialist roles. In the Cabinet formed in 2022, four out of ten ministers are women. In the private sector, progress is slower but steady. Women now fill 36% of executive roles, up from 34% five years ago. A fifth of Parliament and 25% in Shura In Parliament, eight women won seats in the last election, giving them a fifth of the chamber. The Shura Council has a slightly higher share, with 25% women members. In municipal councils in Muharraq, Northern, and Southern governorates, women hold three of the thirty seats. In the Capital Secretariat, that number rises to 40%. New plans on the way To build on these gains, the Council has rolled out a new plan for 2025 and 2026. The plan covers four key areas: work, family, decision-making, and daily living. It includes steps to help more women get jobs, start small businesses, and have a stronger voice in public life. Another goal is to support women balancing work and family, and to improve conditions for households where women are the main breadwinners. The plan brings together efforts from government, businesses, and community groups, with the Supreme Council for Women in charge of tracking progress. So far, 41 projects have been launched, with progress measured against 71 criteria. The programme runs under the slogan: 'Women: A Worthy Partner in Nation Building.' A gender balance model has also been introduced to make sure the plan is working. It includes rules, funding, training, inspection, and tracking of results.
