Celebrations of the National Charter Day at RUW
18,Feb 2019
Royal University for Women hosted women members of the Shura Council and the House of Representatives, in an enriching dialogue session on the Role of Bahraini women within the National Action Charter. The dialogue members were HE Ms. Hala Ramzi Fayez, Dr. Fatima Abdul-Jabbar Al-Kooheji, HE Ms. Mona Yousef Al-Moayyed, HE Dr. Ebtisam Al-Dalal of the Shura Council and HE Fatima Abbas from the House of Representatives.
The session began with a Welcome note by the Academic Vice President, Dr. Mona Suri, in which she expressed her gratitude to the members of the Shura Council and House of Representatives, for their participation in the session, which is organized as an annual event to celebrate the National Charter Day. This event informs the students about the importance of the Action Charter and the advancements that the Kingdom of Bahrain has made in the area of women's empowerment in all fields and sectors.
Moderated by Dr. Samar Al Barghouthy, Assistant Professor in the College of Business & Financial Sciences, the session focused on a variety of topics, most notably on women in political life. HE Ms. Hala Ramzi Fayez pointed out that the difference between the Shura Council and the House of Representatives lies in the different competencies concerned for both councils. The Shura Council is concerned with the legislative part while the House of Representatives plays two roles: legislative and supervisory role. The democratic process in the glorious era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, has guaranteed the right of women to run for elections. HE Dr. Fatima Al-Kooheji pointed out that the democratic experience of women in the Kingdom of Bahrain has been characterized by the preservation of their rights. Bahraini women are fortunate because the democratic process in the Kingdom does not adopt the quota system which imposes a certain number of women in the legislative councils as in some countries. She added that the Kingdom of Bahrain has opened the way for women to exercise their political role in the same way as men. HE Dr. Ebtisam Al-Dalal also praised the efforts of the Supreme Council for Women, which contributed to a qualitative leap that made the Kingdom of Bahrain one of the first countries to safeguard the rights of women through the enactment of adequate legislation under the directives of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa.
HE Dr. Mona Al-Moayyed stressed that Bahraini women today have succeeded in all fields starting from home, as the family is the foundation of every society. Citing her own experience, she added that in addition to the challenges she faces to lead in different roles, she has to balance between her work in society and her responsibility towards her family. She pointed out that the members of Shura Council and House of Representatives joined different committees within the councils, out of their belief in the importance of moving the wheel of development in society.
HE Ms. Fatima Abbas from the House of Representatives said that the Bahraini woman's participation in the first parliamentary elections exceeded 49% of the total participation of the Bahraini nation. She stressed that this huge percentage comes from the Bahraini women’s belief in developing and seeking prosperity. She mentioned that Bahraini women have made a mark in drawing the road map for the National Action Charter.
The students of the Royal University for Women participated in the dialogue session by asking questions that enhanced their knowledge about the political life of Bahraini women and their participation in the various aspects of the development process in the Kingdom of Bahrain. They expressed their gratitude to the speakers who shared their experiences in various professional fields.
