The Supreme Council for Women (SCW), in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, organised an awareness programme entitled “Bahraini Women’s Benefit from Housing Services.”

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

The aim was to introduce housing laws and the Ministry’s services in cooperation with local banks, and to raise awareness among Bahraini women about the housing facilities provided to them in accordance with current regulations and laws. Professor Lulwa bint Saleh Al Awadhi, Acting Secretary-General of the SCW, and approximately 70 women from civil society organisations were in attendance.

At the beginning of the workshop, the Secretary-General welcomed the attendees and expressed sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning for coordinating with the Supreme Council for Women in presenting this programme. She hoped that the programme would achieve its goals of increasing awareness about housing services for Bahraini women, thereby enhancing community and family stability in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In her speech, she emphasised that this programme marks the beginning of the awareness initiatives that the Supreme Council for Women plans to implement. This workshop focuses on Bahraini women benefiting from the joint efforts between the Council and the Ministry. She highlighted the Supreme Council for Women’s commitment to continuing efforts that promote stability for Bahraini women by providing housing services that ensure a decent living, supported by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women.

The Secretary-General noted that the issuance of laws and legislation supporting women’s right to obtain adequate housing, alongside the continuous development of various policies, has resulted in real projects that benefit Bahraini women. This demonstrates that the Kingdom of Bahrain has taken significant steps in empowering women and integrating them into society. The amended Constitution and the National Action Charter (NAC) guarantee Bahraini women justice and equality in rights and duties, providing a legislative environment supportive of family and social stability.

Donia Faisal Sarhan, Assistant Undersecretary for Resources and Information at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, delivered a speech expressing the government's commitment to including Bahraini women among the beneficiaries of various housing services. She emphasised the Ministry's ongoing efforts to meet the housing needs of women, especially with the inclusion of new categories such as the fifth category.

She mentioned that the Ministry periodically reviews the requirements that consider women's needs and discusses specific policies and programmes aimed at facilitating Bahraini women's access to appropriate housing options.

Head of the Communications directorate at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, Mervat Al-Dosari, presented on the diversity of financing services provided by the Ministry to Bahraini women and all categories of citizens under the “Tas’heel” financing umbrella. This includes services through Eskan Bank and other financing banks, such as “Tas’heel Aqari,” “Tas’heel Al Bait Al Oud,” and “Tas’heel Ta’awon,” alongside services within the traditional and new Mazaya programmes, and the joint guarantee programme.

Khalid Al Khaja, Senior Manager of Sales & Marketing at Eskan Bank, gave a presentation highlighting the Ministry of Housing's continuous efforts to provide distinguished housing services that are flexible and diverse, meeting the needs of Bahraini women. He also noted recent developments in the Ministry’s website and the digital availability of all housing services, which contribute to streamlining citizens’ procedures and reviews, ensuring high service efficiency and speed of completion, in line with the comprehensive digital transformation plan for housing services and transactions.

At the conclusion of the workshop, attendees praised the care and attention that women in the Kingdom of Bahrain receive in various fields, especially regarding the efforts to ensure that Bahraini women benefit from the social services provided to all citizens. They also raised some inquiries, which were addressed during the session.