Bahrain achieves women’s economic empowerment success, World Bank report shows

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Mohammed Darwish

In a groundbreaking achievement for gender equality, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been spotlighted in the Women, Business, and the Law Report 2024 by the World Bank.

Covering 190 economies, the report reveals Bahrain’s impressive strides in women’s economic empowerment, marking a remarkable 30.6% increase in its index score since 2018.

Particularly striking is the progress in the “wages” category, which doubled.

The “workplace” and “pensions” categories each recorded a 50% enhancement, while the “marriage” and “entrepreneurship” categories registered increases of 20% and 25%, respectively.

According to expert opinions collected for the report, Bahrain came in at 92.5% in the implementation of women’s rights in practice.

Perfect score

Notably, Bahrain received a perfect score of 100% in the mobility, workplace, entrepreneurship, and assets categories.

These accomplishments are emblematic of the broader developmental vision championed by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, supported by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The openness and awareness of Bahraini society, along with the efforts of the Supreme Council for Women, headed by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, have significantly contributed to achieving gender balance in the country.

The report’s findings are the result of collaborative efforts between the Supreme Council for Women and the Ministry of Finance and National Economy.

Cooperation

This cooperation involved studying and reviewing laws and legislation related to women and gender balance, leading to the provision of updated national legislation to the World Bank.

New laws and amendments were enacted in various areas, including financial services, paid and unpaid leave for working women, equality in retirement rights, and the prohibition of wage discrimination.

A joint team comprising the Supreme Council for Women, the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf, and the Bahrain Economic Development Board was formed to go over the report’s indicators and study the legislation of the developed countries featured in the report.