Women

The Kingdom of Bahrain has made significant strides toward promoting women's equality and ensuring their rights and inclusion in various roles in society. Bahrain's commitment to achieving women’s equality can be observed in the establishment of the Supreme Council for Women, which aims to empower women and champion their rights across a range of fields and to develop and monitor their roles. It provides services such as training programmes, capacity building, awareness programmes, economic empowerment, political empowerment, legal support, guidance, and family counselling.

The country's efforts have led to increased representation of women in political and economic arenas, with more women holding leadership positions in both the public and private sectors. Additionally, Bahrain continues to invest in education and training programs to equip women with the necessary skills to excel in their chosen fields. Bahrain's dedication to fostering a more inclusive and equal society serves as a testament to its commitment to upholding women's rights and achieving gender parity.

Digital Literacy for Women

The Kingdom of Bahrain has made important strides in promoting digital literacy among women, recognizing the crucial role of technology in today's world. With a focus on bridging the gender gap, both public and private sectors have implemented various initiatives and programs to empower women with the necessary digital skills.

Bahrain ranked 1st globally in multiple subindices within Metas’ Inclusive Internet Index 2022, which focused on several areas including national female e-inclusion policies and female digital skills training. The Index revealed the Kingdom’s leading position on female tech-inclusion, with initiatives such as Women in FinTech, supported by the Supreme Council of Women (SCW).

Moreover, In 2020, the SCW launched the 2nd edition of the national guidance program for Bahraini women, e-Guidance. The initiative aimed to provide female retirees, jobseekers, graduates and entrepreneurs with the latest information and developments through interactive workshops that present the most important theoretical and professional knowledge, skills, and experiences.

Other programs such as the Technical Development Program in which the program aims to train and create job opportunities for young qualified Bahrainis. The programme showcased high participation and qualification from women, as they constituted 75% of the participants.

By fostering a tech-savvy generation of women, the Kingdom of Bahrain is not only empowering its female citizens but also contributing to the overall economic and social progress of the nation. For more information, visit Women in Technology and Digital Literacy.

Equality and Women in Leadership

The Kingdom of Bahrain has been at the forefront of promoting female leadership and empowering women to take on influential roles in various sectors. Recognizing the immense potential and talent that women bring to the table, the government has implemented a series of initiatives to break down barriers and encourage greater representation of women in leadership positions.

Women, Business and the Law 2022, an index by the World Bank covering 190 economies and structured around the life cycle of a working woman, found that Bahrain scored higher than the average observed across the MENA region. The Kingdom received a perfect score in laws protecting women’s pay and easing constraints on women who want to start or run a business.

Marked on 1st December every year, Bahraini Women’s Day celebrates Bahraini women and their contributions to shaping the identity of a modern, forward-thinking society that seeks to preserve the principles of equality in the national development process.

In the World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report 2022, Bahrain ranked 54th out of 146 countries in educational attainment, and a study in 2021 found that 63% of postgraduate degrees in Bahrain were held by women.

Women’s participation has grown in Bahrain’s parliamentary and municipal elections, as was evident in November 2022, with 48 percent of women casting ballots.

These results reflect Bahrain's dedication to creating a more equitable and diverse society, where women can play a pivotal role in driving the Kingdom’s progress.

Mother and Child

Bahrain has demonstrated a strong commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of mothers and children through a series of thoughtful and comprehensive initiatives.

Recognizing the critical importance of maternal and child health, the government established a robust healthcare system that provides accessible and high-quality medical services. Prenatal care, maternal education, and immunization programs are given priority to ensure the well-being of expectant mothers and the healthy development of infants.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has paid special attention to maternal and child health care programs, led by the Ministry of Health. Many achievements have been made in this field, with results reflected by health indicators. Primary health care and maternal and child service programs have been instrumental in these achievements.

Maternal and child services are provided in over 25 health centers accessible to all individuals and distributed throughout the kingdom. Health services are provided by family physicians and community service nurses who have been well trained through workshops and lectures to provide high quality services to all citizens and residents of. Child and maternity care’s extensive services include pregnant woman care, child periodic screening services, family planning services, and periodic examination of women.

Bahrain’s government was one of the first countries in the region to adopt a national strategy for childhood, an obligation to respect and promote the rights of the child and to meet the various needs of the child through the implementation of the National Childhood Strategy (2013-2017). Four main themes were considered in this regard: the right to health and survival, the right to education and capacity development, the right to protection, and the right to participation and non-discrimination, as well as activating the implementation of the rights of the child guaranteed by Islamic Sharia laws and confirmed by international covenants and conventions.

These initiatives highlight Bahrain's commitment to the welfare of mothers and children, contributing to building a strong and resilient society for future generations.