Bahrain Engages Actively at 69th UN Commission on Status of Women
New York: The Kingdom of Bahrain participated in the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), represented by Lulwa Saleh Al Awadhi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW). The session, held in New York, was chaired by Dr. Abdulaziz Al Wasel, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UN.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Ant³nio Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, highlighted that in many countries, women and girls continue to be deprived of their fundamental rights. He described CSW as a catalyst for the transformation needed and called for efforts to promote peace and dignity for women and girls worldwide. Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly, also emphasised the urgency of accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The session saw the participation of Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women; Collen Vixen Kelapile, President of the UN Economic and Social Council; and representatives from the European Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Arab Group. A political declaration marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women was adopted. The session focused on evaluating the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, reviewing progress on gender equality, and setting global standards for advancing women's empowerment.
Al Awadhi also attended a side event organised by the State of Kuwait, titled 'Women and Technology: Inspiring Stories from the GCC countries'. Shaima Shawqi Al Meer, Senior Space Data Analyst at the National Space Science Agency (NSSA) and SCW delegate, spoke at the event, highlighting Bahraini women's achievements in technology, emerging sciences, and advanced technologies. She emphasised Bahrain's commitment to women's empowerment in technology as a pillar for sustainable development and innovation.
Al Meer noted that Bahrain's framework for women's advancement is based on the National Action Charter, Constitution, and national strategies promoting equal opportunities. She highlighted the establishment of the NSSA, where 63% of Bahraini employees are women, holding 50% of executive roles and 43% of engineering positions as of Q3 2023.
She added that the Kingdom prioritises women's education and training in STEM fields, launching AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and data science programmes to equip women with future-ready skills. Bahrain has also fostered a startup ecosystem supporting women entrepreneurs in fintech, e-commerce, and AI, contributing to economic growth.
Al Meer shared her experience in space sciences and highlighted Bahraini women's contributions in many promising areas, such as utilising AI to improve and streamline government services, satellite policy development, and strategic risk assessment. She also noted their involvement in Bahrain's space team, including collaboration with the United Arab Emirates.
She expressed pride in being part of this progress and innovation, attributing it to the support of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and President of the SCW, in advancing women's empowerment.
During the GCC side event, Al Awadhi highlighted that GCC countries are not classified as developing nations but have strong, influential economies. She stated that Gulf women enjoy full access to services and opportunities on par with their counterparts in advanced nations. She also noted that there is no gender wage gap in the GCC, as legislation and strategies have driven rapid economic progress.
Al Awadhi also attended the 'Mother of the Nation' exhibition, hosted by the UAE, showcasing the vision and contributions of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak in women's empowerment.
Bahrain's delegation also participated in Saudi Arabia's side event, titled 'From Vision to Reality: Saudi Arabia's Story of Women's Empowerment,' which highlighted women's progress under Vision 2030.
Additionally, Al Awadhi held a coordination meeting with Dr. Moez Doraid, Regional Director of UN Women for the Arab States, to review preparations for launching the third edition of the Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women's Empowerment. The award is set to be launched on March 11 in New York as part of CSW69.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
3 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain Lauds Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Exemplary Hajj Management
Speaker of the Council of Representatives, H.E. Ahmed bin Salman Al-Musallam, has lauded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its unwavering commitment and outstanding efforts in ensuring the success of this year's Hajj season. He praised the Kingdom's continued advancements in infrastructure, services, and seamless facilitation that have allowed pilgrims to perform their sacred rites with ease, safety, and peace of mind. Al-Musallam emphasized that Saudi Arabia's comprehensive approach—driven by innovation and strategic planning—has made it a global benchmark in pilgrimage management. He commended the high-level royal directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the dedicated oversight of Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, in enhancing the Hajj experience for millions of pilgrims through integrated services and visionary development programs. On this occasion, the Speaker extended his profound appreciation and heartfelt thanks to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain and to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their continued support and directives in facilitating Hajj arrangements for Bahraini pilgrims. He also expressed his gratitude to Bahrain's High Committee for Hajj and Umrah Affairs, the Bahraini Hajj mission, and all local pilgrimage campaigns for their cooperation, commitment, and responsible conduct throughout the season. In a congratulatory note, Al-Musallam conveyed his warm regards to H.E. Dr. Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh, Speaker of Saudi Arabia's Shura Council, on the success of this year's pilgrimage. He prayed for the continued security, prosperity, and stability of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under its wise leadership.
Daily Tribune
3 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Scholarship awarded to visually impaired student on Royal directive
His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Minister of the Prime Minister's Court and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa bin Salman Educational Charitable Endowment, has directed the allocation of a scholarship to student Munira Al-Shomali in recognition of her outstanding high school performance despite the challenges posed by her visual impairment. Mashael Al Qatami, Acting Secretary General of the Isa bin Salman Educational Charitable Endowment and Director of Student Affairs, stated that His Highness's generous gesture reflects his commitment to supporting Bahraini students and ensuring they have access to the resources needed to pursue their academic aspirations. She added that the endowment will fully fund Munira Al-Shomali's undergraduate studies and wished her continued success in her academic journey.
Gulf Insider
2 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Syrian Islamist Leader Sharaa Will Speak At UN
The Islamist group which rules Syria from Damascus, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has long been designated as a terrorist organization by the UN, US and UK. But once the hardline group toppled Assad, things changed rapidly. The group's leader and self-declared interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) until very recently had a $10 million bounty on his head. In May, President Trump met with Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, praising his 'very strong past' – after which US sanctions on Syria were dropped. That 'strong past' was terrorism plain and simple, including attacks on civilians and overseeing Sharia executions in AQ-held Idlib provice. A week before the Gulf meeting with Trump, Sharaa had suggested the idea of building a Trump Tower in Damascus. Since then, Sharaa has engaged with several US delegations, pushing for positive relations amid an effort to present a 'moderated' and 'reformed' leadership, despite that Jolani had even been part of ISIS early in the Syrian proxy war. This is why a headline which emerged Tuesday is absurd and shocking: the man who founded the Syrian al-Qaeda group Al-Nusra Front is coming to America. One international report says: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will visit New York in September to participate in the United Nations General Assembly, according to Sky News Arabic. Reports of Sharaa's intention to address the UN have emerged in Arabic-language media in recent weeks. This would mark the first time a Syrian president has addressed the UN since June 1967, when Nureddin al-Atassi did so after Israel's victory in the Six Day War. Earlier this week, the US endorsed Sharaa's controversial proposal to integrate thousands of foreign jihadists from his group, HTS, into the Syrian military. This is tantamount to Washington nodding in agreement with a plan to regularize global jihadists in the heart of the Middle East. However, Sharaa has certainly not been universally welcomed even in the region. In April, Iraq invited him to the Arab League summit in Baghdad, but his past as a senior member of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) led to strong opposition, given AQI is responsible for thousands of brutal killings of Iraqi civilians. Sharaa chose not to attend the Arab League amid the pressure, and his reported upcoming visit to the UN in New York City could provoke similar resistance. The legal loop hole in all this is that despite his terrorism past, US law allows for sitting heads of state to attend UN headquarters in NY City. And this question is somewhat moot anyway, given that President Trump has already full embraced him, during last month's Riyadh visit.
