On the occasion of Bahrain's celebrations of Bahraini Women's Day.. Humaidan: Bahraini women have proven their worth by participating positively in the national development process

29-11-2019

His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Mr Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, extended his sincere congratulations to Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women, as well as to Bahraini women and the wider community, on the occasion of celebrating the achievements of Bahraini women on 1 December. He affirmed that this national day reflects the Government’s recognition of women’s economic, social and political contributions, and their active role in nation‑building—this year spotlighting women’s excellence in higher education and future sciences. Humaidan underscored that the comprehensive development process, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the country’s great King, may God protect and preserve him, has strengthened Bahrain’s model for women’s empowerment—through constitutional and legal guarantees, robust legislation, and policies that mainstream women’s needs across the Government’s work programme and uphold equal opportunities. These directions have enabled Bahraini women to achieve a strong local, regional and international presence. The Minister noted women’s notable progress in higher education and future sciences—holding senior leadership roles, including university president and dean, earning advanced academic degrees, and contributing to international bodies and centres. Humaidan also commended the Supreme Council for Women’s initiative to launch the unified framework for counseling services and family awareness-enhancing, which consolidates efforts to reinforce family cohesion as a cornerstone of social stability and forms a key component of the national plan to advance Bahraini women. Believing in women’s central role in development, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development continues to support all women—including senior women, widows and divorcees—through social security assistance; and women job seekers through training, employment and Unemployment Insurance programmes. The Ministry has raised the share of women in overall employment operations from 25% three years ago to 40% of total citizens employed in the private sector in 2019. Women’s participation in the total national workforce stands at 40%, exceeds 50% in Government, and reaches 80% in sectors such as education and health. To expand flexible work options, the part‑time work project for women—launched in 2015—has integrated more than 5,000 Bahraini women into part‑time roles. In parallel, ministerial decisions were updated to widen women’s employment across all sectors and occupations, including Resolution No. 84 of 2019 (with Respect to the Specification of the Tasks Prohibited for the Employment of Pregnant Women) and Resolution No. 85 of 2019 (cancelling Resolution No. 16 of 2013 determining jobs, circumstances and occasions in which women may not be employed for night-time work), ensuring equality with men while maintaining maternity protection and occupational safety and health requirements. Key labour‑market outcomes reflect these policies: women constitute 50% of new Bahraini entrants to the private sector (first‑time employment), and 70% of vacancies offered through the Ministry are suitable for women applicants. Between September 2017 and September 2019, more than 6,000 job seekers were trained—78% of whom were women. To bolster economic participation, dedicated programmes continue to serve women, such as the Productive Families Project and the Khatwa programme for home projects, which enable women to enter the labour market and improve living standards. From the Khatwa Centre for Home Based Businesses’ inception in 2014 through November 2019, 683 participants registered; 532 obtained work‑from‑home (Productive Home) licences; and women accounted for 78% of home business owners in the programme. In total, 1,256 training courses were delivered, benefitting 15,172 participants, to help plan, develop and market productive projects through productive family centres and social centres.