Bahrain has achieved 64% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators related directly to women, Supreme Council for Women Secretary-General Hala Al Ansari has said.

Delivering Bahrain's speech remotely at the opening session of the sixty-fifth session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations, Al Ansari affirmed the Kingdom's continued support for international efforts directed at the advancement of women that focus on alleviating the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic

The efforts include ensuring gender balance in all areas of development, the acceleration of the recovery plans to speed up their progress and the enhancement of women’s contributions to the development and prosperity of their societies, she said.

She said that the Commission meetings this year are of high importance in light of the exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic that the world is confronting with unprecedented determination and resolve in order to review developments and issue priority recommendations, with a focus on the effects on the advancement of women at all levels and ensuring that the balance of their participation in public life and decision-making positions is not disturbed.

Al-Ansari highlighted the Bahraini national model for gender balance, based on the indicators of the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women, followed up on measuring gaps, analyzing their causes, and providing appropriate solutions to address them.

Solutions were by developing legislation, re-drawing policies, adapting programs and plans with government action priorities, and measuring the impact on Bahrain’s performance and its success in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

She said Bahraini women’s progress is steadily moving forward and the areas of their participation in the national development process are diversifying.

The program for women’s participation in decision-making positions is one of the pivotal tools for implementing the national model for gender balance, which the Supreme Council for Women works to follow in partnership with the relevant authorities.

The program relies on diversifying opportunities and options to boost women's self-competitiveness and achieve equitable participation in the development and be on an equal footing with men in the areas of work in order to achieve economic growth and social stability.

Bahrain’s approach and actions in confronting Covid-19 were proactive and comprehensive, taking into account all preventive, therapeutic, economic and social needs to maintain the stability and safety of every family and individual, both citizens and residents, she said.

The outcomes of these policies and various packages reflected positively on the progress of public life and the speed of everyone's access to basic services, which contributed significantly to reducing the confusion of women's participation in the labor market.

Al Ansari pointed out that this was clearly reflected in the presence of women in the front rows, making up 75% of the dedicated workers within the ranks of the National Taskforce for Combating this Coronavirus. The initiatives also focused on the social protection and family care that have contributed to limiting any escalation of domestic violence cases.

The Supreme Council for Women is working vigorously and expeditiously to review work priorities according to the circumstances of the health crisis to contain and address its effects, so that national recovery plans include the emerging needs of women and the family, she said.

The Council is using innovative work methodologies that enable women to quickly adapt to the post-Covid world and to preserve their role as essential elements in achieving national priorities for a rapid return to economic growth and prosperity, she added.