Bahrain shows the way in women empowerment

TDT | Manama              

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Reported by Ashen Tharaka

Bahrain can be named a leading country in terms of women’s empowerment and inclusion in the country’s workforce, Bahrain's Ambassador to the US, H.E. Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa, said yesterday.

Addressing the Atlantic Council’s WIn Fellowship workshop online, the Ambassador said that today the Kingdom is moving fast to include Bahraini women in the workforce to boost the economy.

The WIn Fellowship is led by the Atlantic Council’s EmpowerME Initiative in cooperation with Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, with support from the US Embassy in Manama.

Female leadership in Bahrain, progress, potential, and sustainability were discussed during the meeting held at Fintech Bay premises yesterday. Bahrain has more than 54% female participation in the public sector, and 45% of women hold executive positions in other linked institutions, according to information shared during the meeting.

In the private sector, more than 35% of the workforce is occupied by women. The Council of Representatives consists of 20% women and 25% women in the Shura Council. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2023, Bahrain is the second-best country in the Arab region.

"This programme goes beyond our Free Trade Agreement and takes it to the next level. We are investing in Bahraini women. We are proudly supporting Bahrain’s national strategy on gender equity and equality," Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Manama, David Brownstein, told The Daily Tribune.

Still, we are working on the future challenges in the region," Amjad Ahmad, Chairman of EmpowermentME at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Centre for the Middle East, said in the meeting.

The year-long programme from June 2023 to March 2024 will enable 22 Bahraini women entrepreneurs to enhance their networks, gain practical knowledge, and develop US-Bahrain relationships.