Bahraini Women's Day
CELEBRATING BAHRAINI WOMEN’S DAY Bahraini women have made tremendous progress in all facets of society over the years. On the occasion of Bahraini Women’s Day, Eman Deabil shares her thoughts, and verified facts and figures, in relation to some of their most recent achievements It’s no secret that the Supreme Council for Women under the royal presidency of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the wife of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, has dedicated December first of every year to be Bahraini Women’s Day. On this occasion, I would like to congratulate all Bahraini women on their notable accomplishments. Whether you are a woman striving to thrive and advance in your
career, a mother taking care of the future generations, or a student fighting to equip yourself with knowledge, you all deserve a warm round of applause and a sincere appreciation for all the efforts you’re making to further develop this country. The Supreme Council for Women, which was established in 2001, consists of 16 members who are public female figures experienced in women's affairs and various other activities. The main aspiration of the Council is to
empower women and help them prosper in a healthy environment governed by justice and enabled by equal opportunities. Since its inception, the Council has worked on setting a promising national strategy to enable the advancement of Bahraini women which can be attained through effective partnerships with all official institutions. I would also like to congratulate the Supreme Council for Women on its 21st anniversary and stellar achievements.
Recent developments in the Kingdom are in line with the Council’s aspirations, and in light of the royal directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain: • The Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), Rasheed Al-Maraj issued provisions related to enhancing the representation of women on the boards of directors of listed companies (the percentage of women representation is currently at 5.9 percent – highlighted in the September edition of Woman This Month).
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• The former Minister of Industry and Commerce, Zayed bin Rashid Al-Zayani, issued a decision to amend the provisions of the Corporate Governance, taking into account the representation of women in the formation of the board of directors of listed companies. • Disclosure of membership statistics
classified by gender for the company’s board of directors should be made available in the company's annual report, annual corporate governance report. In addition, it’s one of the key metrics that should be reported as part of the annual sustainability/ESG voluntary reports (a reporting guide was issued by Bahrain Bourse). www.womanthismonth.com