Supreme Council for Women Approves New National Plan to Empower Bahraini Women (2025–2026)

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

The Supreme Council for Women (SCW), chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the wife of the King and President of the Council, has approved the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women for 2025–2026. This plan highlights four key focus areas as priorities for the coming period: family stability, decision-making, economic participation, and quality of life.

Each focus area includes various initiatives organized around five main pillars: policies, gender-responsive budgets, awareness and training, auditing and monitoring, and follow-up and evaluation.

Family Stability: A Core Priority
Family stability stands as a top priority in the new plan, emphasizing the crucial role of women as active partners in building the nation, family, and society. The Council stresses the importance of preserving Bahrain’s family values and heritage to create a supportive family environment that helps women balance their family and societal roles.

Empowering Women in Decision-Making
The second main area focuses on increasing women’s participation in decision-making roles. The Council is committed to promoting equal opportunities and gender balance to empower Bahraini women fully. The goal is to raise the number of women in leadership positions across various sectors, allowing them to contribute effectively to the country’s development.

The Council has developed innovative approaches to address women’s and families’ issues, recognizing that true progress for women depends on a stable family environment. Efforts aim to build an integrated system that protects and supports women at every stage of life.

A Holistic Vision for Women’s Empowerment
The Council continues to work toward empowering Bahraini women by integrating their needs into national development programs. This ensures the sustainability of family stability and strong family bonds, which are essential to Bahrain’s social cohesion and prosperity. The Council’s work extends beyond serving women alone; it positively impacts their families—the fundamental building block of Bahraini society.

Collaboration with partners remains vital to achieving family stability, based on the belief that sustainable community development depends on a balanced partnership between men and women. This partnership ensures women’s full participation in development while fulfilling their family roles. The plan includes dedicated resources, policies, and programs to address women’s needs and promote gender equality.

Promoting Gender Balance in Leadership
The Council emphasizes the importance of women’s ongoing participation in leadership roles, considering gender balance essential for inclusive decision-making and diverse perspectives. International experience shows that institutions with balanced gender representation tend to be more innovative and effective.

Guided by the SCW, public and private sectors, along with civil society, are working to strengthen women’s skills and prepare new female leaders capable of competing for decision-making positions.

Princess Sabeeka Award for Bahraini Women’s Advancement
Among the notable initiatives is the Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Award for the Advancement of Bahraini Women. This award is the first of its kind in its scope and goals, aiming to enhance women’s competitiveness as productive contributors by promoting gender balance and sustainable progress in the workforce, thereby increasing women’s contribution to the national economy.

The award also encourages government agencies, private companies, and civil society organizations to support working women through training and development, helping more women assume leadership and decision-making roles and reinforcing non-discrimination policies.

Key Initiatives Under the Plan

Family Stability: Reviewing family-related laws and policies, improving social care and protection services for women, updating the national strategy against domestic violence, expanding family guidance centers and protection offices, and supporting women with disabilities or those caring for people with disabilities.

Decision-Making: Updating policies to sustain women’s roles in leadership across public, private, and civil sectors; increasing women’s participation on boards of publicly listed companies; and supporting women in judicial and diplomatic roles.

Gender-Responsive Budgets: Enhancing housing services for women, ensuring budgets meet women’s needs in all housing programs, and coordinating emergency support for women in urgent situations.

Awareness and Training: Conducting programs for soon-to-be-married couples and parents about rights and responsibilities; life skills training in family management, savings, work-life balance; awareness about women’s roles in preserving national values; and developing school curricula to promote gender equality, mental health, communication skills, and bullying prevention.

Youth Volunteerism: Implementing the Princess Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa Youth Volunteerism Award, highlighting success stories in volunteer work and studying its impact on youth volunteering programs.

The Supreme Council for Women reaffirms its dedication to advancing Bahraini women’s status across all areas of life, ensuring their active role in building a strong, stable, and prosperous society.