Women strides in labour sector highlighted at UN session

The Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jamal Faris Al Rowaie, has affirmed the Kingdom’s keenness on the social protection for women and families through legislation and initiatives that guarantee respect, preserve family values, promote social solidarity and ensure equal opportunity. This came during the general discussion of the 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women held in the United Nations headquarters in New York.  He also stressed that the Kingdom, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the support of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, continues to implement its development plans in accordance with the standards of social justice and respect for human rights, which reflected positively on the society’s standard of living and its high GDP per capita. 

Ambassador Jamal Faris Al Rowaie also noted the vital role played by the Supreme Council of Women, under the leadership of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King, and its partners for their continued development of services and facilities that further enhance social protection for Bahraini families, in addition to integrating women’s needs into the Government Action Plan and the Government Budget to realise the Kingdom’s Economic Vision for 2030. He also stressed the diversification of the financial support services for women according to their economic and social conditions, namely Improving the Standard of Living Allowance, Housing Allowance, Social Allowance, Unemployment Compensation, in addition to medical care and a monthly allowance for people with disabilities.  In his speech, Ambassador Al Rowaie pointed out the initiatives launched by the Kingdom to increase the participation of women in the labour market, whereas the estimated income of women in the period (2010- 2017) increased by 66 per cent.

He also added that the participation of women in the public sector during the period (2006- 2018) increased from 38 per cent to 50pc of the total Bahraini workforce. He further elaborated that in the private sector, the participation of women increased from 24pc to 34pc, in addition to a decline in job-seeking women during the period (2012-2017) from 4pc to 3.2pc, while the percentage of female-owned commercial registrations for the year 2018 was about 49pc of the total active trade registrations. He noted that the Kingdom has achieved first place in the Gulf for income equality among both genders and has achieved an advanced status at the regional and international levels in the Social Development Indicators, reflecting the seriousness of the Kingdom’s initiatives and programmes to diversify its citizens’ opportunities for health, education, social and economic services.