Celebrating Women

On March 8 every year, the world celebrates women and their achievements as they mark International Women’s Day. Through our International Women’s Day feature, the Woman This Month team would like to highlight exceptional women in Bahrain’s society that you should know.

“Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her a house, she’ll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she’ll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she’ll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.”

In 1954, these words were famously spoken by Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies. There are several quotes that speak of the sheer strength, determination and capabilities of women in our lives and rightfully so. As the world prepares to celebrate International Women’s Day, we would like to highlight this year’s campaign: #EmbraceEquity. The goal, as always, for each and every one of us, is to not just view the occasion as a single day to celebrate, but rather a catalyst to drive positive change. The belief behind this year’s campaign is that gender equity must be an essential part of society creating an inclusive world for the social, economic, cultural and political advancement of women.

While the words equity and equality are often used interchangeably, there is in fact a difference. Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities while equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Simply put: it is providing each individual with the resources they need to be successful.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has made great strides in ensuring that women are represented across various field, and continues to make progress. Local and expatriate women alike are provided with excellent opportunities to progress in their respective fields. Meanwhile Bahraini women are key players in the Kingdom’s development and play a role in politics, social development, business and more.

The Supreme Council for Women (SCW) which was established on August 22, 2001 has been a champion for women in Bahrain’s society. The council, which is chaired by HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of HM the King and Supreme Council for Women (SCW) President, is committed to addressing women’s needs to enable them to reach their full potential. It comprises at least 16 members at any given time who are female public figures and leaders in women's affairs and related activities, and actively aims to highlight Bahraini women as role models in the region.

Bahraini women and their achievements are celebrated every year on December 1 through a host of activities across the island. The first Bahraini Women’s Day was launched in 2008 by HRH Princess Sabeeka. In order to celebrate the crucial role that Bahraini women play in society, SCW inaugurated a national monument named ‘Athar’ on Bahraini Women’s Day in 2022. The spectacular monument is the outcome of an architectural youth competition named ‘Fakhr’ (Pride), which was organised by SCW in cooperation with Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities in 2017 to mark the Bahraini Women’s Day. The geometric monument focuses on four essential aspects: the sea given its close affinity to Bahrain’s society, women ‘as human’ representing their various roles, women ‘as a worthy partner’ enriching society and ‘engineering’ depicting precision, balance and perfection.

The Woman This Month team would like to wish all our readers a very Happy International Women’s Day! May you all be rewarded for your efforts, reach your full potential and be the picture of success.