Latest news with #LulwaSalehAlAwadhi
Bahrain News Gazette
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Bahrain News Gazette
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.
Daily Tribune
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain Participates in the 69th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women
Bahrain took part 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, taking place in New York, is chaired by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN. UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the ongoing struggles faced by women and girls in many countries, emphasizing the need for CSW to drive transformation and promote peace and dignity for women worldwide. Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly, also underscored the importance of accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The session saw participation from key figures, including Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, and Collen Vixen Kelapile, President of the UN Economic and Social Council, as well as representatives from the European Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Arab Group. The event featured a political declaration marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and focused on evaluating the Beijing Declaration, advancing gender equality, and setting global standards for women's empowerment. Al Awadhi attended a side event hosted by Kuwait titled "Women and Technology: Inspiring Stories from the GCC Countries," where Shaima Shawqi Al Meer, Senior Space Data Analyst at Bahrain's National Space Science Agency (NSSA), shared insights into Bahraini women's achievements in technology, emerging sciences, and innovation. She highlighted Bahrain's commitment to empowering women in technology through initiatives in STEM fields and the establishment of a supportive startup ecosystem. Al Meer noted that 63% of NSSA employees are women, with 50% holding executive roles and 43% in engineering positions. She also emphasized the Kingdom's dedication to equipping women with future-ready skills in AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and data science, supporting sustainable development and economic growth. During the GCC side event, Al Awadhi stressed that Gulf countries have influential economies and that women in the region enjoy equal opportunities and services. She also mentioned that there is no gender wage gap in the GCC, attributing rapid economic progress to gender-inclusive legislation. Al Awadhi attended the "Mother of the Nation" exhibition, organized by the UAE, celebrating the contributions of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak in advancing women's empowerment. Bahrain's delegation also participated in Saudi Arabia's side event, "From Vision to Reality: Saudi Arabia's Story of Women's Empowerment," highlighting women's progress under Vision 2030. Additionally, Al Awadhi held a meeting with Dr. Moez Doraid, Regional Director of UN Women for the Arab States, to discuss preparations for the launch of the third edition of the Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women's Empowerment, set to launch on March 11 in New York as part of CSW69.
