Within the efforts made by the Supreme Council for Women to enable the integration of the needs of women in development, the Board considered the need to gain support by the partners of this important principle as a gateway to integrate women's needs in development and to enhance equal opportunities within the Kingdom of Bahrain. The 1st National Bahraini Conference for Women has been organized during the period from 8 to 10 November 2010 under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of King of Bahrain, President of the Supreme Council for Women, the conference was entitled "Integrating the women needs in the development programs.. the role of national efforts: Equal opportunities .. Justice and Progression for all" .
The conference was organized in partnership with the Bahraini Women's Union ensuring the council’s approach towards undertaking a community engagement strategy and enabling the civil society’s role as the main and strategic partner in enhancing Equal Opportunities and Mainstreaming Women’s Needs in development.
The main goals of the National Conference were as follows:
1.Observing the national efforts at the official and civil society sectors in dealing with the concept of integrating women's needs and the mechanism to enable finding the appropriate form of implementation.
2.Integrating the national plan for women advancement strategy in Government’s Action Program.
3.Formulating the proposed national model for mainstreaming women’s needs in the development (Government's Action Program) to include integration mechanisms and the roles of the responsible partner organizations.
The National model for mainstreaming women’s needs in development is a unique model of its kind in the region as none of the Gulf states (GCC) has developed a procedural, national model specifically for Mainstreaming women’s needs in development.
The model includes a specific action plan, mechanisms, and procedures and identifies responsibilities of different authorities.
The model is inclusive and executable.
It’s implementation is based on the principle of partnership; therefore, a national committee was formed under the direct supervision of the President of the Supreme Council for Women to follow up the implementation of the model of mainstreaming women’s needs in development, the committee includes representatives from:
-Supreme Council for Women
-Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development
-Economic Development Board
-Shura Council (Advisory Parliamentary Council)
-Women's Union
The model confirms two primary procedures for mainstreaming women's needs into the development, namely:
1-Setting budgets responsive to the needs of women as a mechanism to regulate and control government expenditure.
2-Create Equal Opportunity Units in all ministries and official institutions to ensure the principle of equal opportunities, spreading awareness and educating all concerned about women's rights, responsibilities and issues.
The model ensures mainstreaming women’s need in development in national policies, strategies budget and projects and programs, therefore its implementation should lead to:
1-Considering the needs of women in allocating budgets of all programs, projects and services within the Kingdom.
2-Insuring that women’s needs are reflected on a national scale when delivering all services (education – health services – housing …. Etc).
3-Increased participation for women in decision making positions in public – private – civil society sectors.
4-Enhancing the role and involvement of women in entrepreneurship
5-Raising family stability and decreasing the rates of divorce violence against women.
6-Developing a community culture that establishes Equal Opportunities as a mandatory principal and undertakes all required procedures to implement it which will in turn reflect on empowerment and advancement of all Bahraini Women
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