Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), emphasised that the launch of the third edition of the Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women’s Empowerment reflects the Kingdom of Bahrain’s firm commitment to supporting international efforts aimed at strengthening the role of women as key partners in sustainable development.

HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim made these remarks in a recorded speech during the award launch event, held on the sidelines of the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim expressed pride in the award’s achievements over its previous two editions, highlighting its global impact in showcasing inspiring initiatives and projects aimed at supporting women in various countries.

HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim noted that the launch of the third edition coincides with Bahrain’s silver jubilee celebrations of His Majesty the King’s accession to the throne.

Her Royal Highness added that this emphasises Bahrain’s commitment to encouraging national efforts across UN member states and to highlighting successful experiences and initiatives that contribute to enhancing women's status and enabling them to play vital roles in their communities.

HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim emphasised that the award serves as a global platform for fostering innovation and creativity in the field of women’s empowerment, supporting efforts to achieve excellence in sustainable initiatives that promote women’s advancement across various human and developmental domains.

Her Royal Highness called on government institutions, private sector entities, civil society organisations, and individuals worldwide to actively participate in the award, enriching its objectives and reinforcing its impact as a global initiative that aligns with international efforts to achieve sustainable development goals.

Lulwa Al Awadhi, Secretary General of SCW, highlighted the significance of the Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women's Empowerment as a global platform that encourages institutions and individuals to support and empower women across various sectors.

She expressed her appreciation to UN Women for its ongoing cooperation in managing the first two editions of the award and in jointly launching the third edition.

She also commended the active role of the UN Women Regional Office in overseeing the award’s implementation and providing various forms of support to ensure its objectives are met on a global scale.

Al Awadhi added that Bahrain places great emphasis on initiatives that empower and advance women at local, regional, and international levels by promoting best practices that enhance women's status globally.

She noted that these efforts contribute to achieving sustainable development goals, particularly those related to justice, equal opportunities, and gender balance, while also working to reduce disparities and eliminate inequalities.

She emphasised Bahrain’s commitment to its role as a key partner in driving sustainable development by collaborating with international organisations and relevant institutions.

Al Awadhi renewed her call for all UN member states to participate in the award, which aims to encourage government and private institutions, as well as civil society organisations, to adopt strategies and programmes that support women’s empowerment, facilitate their access to leadership positions, and provide an inclusive work environment that enables them to balance their professional and family responsibilities.

The award also aims to further develop women’s capabilities in emerging domains and promising sectors.

Dr. Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women and Chair of the Award Committee, underscored the importance of the award as a significant initiative supporting global women’s empowerment programmes.

She said that the launch of the third edition highlights Bahrain’s commitment to implementing sustainable development goals.

Dr. Bahous reviewed the winning programmes, projects, and organisations from previous editions.

She described them as distinguished initiatives that have contributed to societal progress in various countries and showcased the advancements made in advancing women.

Dr. Moez Doraid, Regional Director of UN Women in the Arab States, described the Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women’s Empowerment as a model of effective partnership between UN Women and Bahrain.

He noted that the award reflects Bahrain’s firm commitment to achieving sustainable development goals, particularly Goal 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

He added that the third edition builds on the successes of previous editions, which attracted widespread participation from over 90 countries and saw an increased interest from the private sector due to awareness efforts by UN Women.

He noted that the award is not only about recognising winners but also serves to raise global awareness of the importance of women’s empowerment as a key factor in sustainable development.

The award applies rigorous criteria to evaluate initiatives and ensures their lasting impact.

The Bahraini delegation, led by Lulwa Al Awadhi, continues its participation in the 69th session of the CSW, which runs until March 21.

As part of the programme, the delegation attended a side event organised by the Saudi Family Affairs Council in cooperation with the League of Arab States, titled "Perspectives on the Care Economy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Republic of South Africa, and the Arab League”.

Another side event, titled "Women in Gaza," was also organised by the Arab League in collaboration with UN Women.

On the sidelines of the session, Al Awadhi met with Dr. Abdulaziz Al Wasel, Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the UN and Chair of the current CSW session.

They exchanged views on key topics under discussion and important side events held by different countries and regional groups.

Al Awadhi also provided an overview of the Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women’s Empowerment and its third edition.

Al Awadhi also met with Buthaina bint Ali Jabr Al Nuaimi, Minister of Social Development and Family of the State of Qatar, to discuss the achievements of Gulf women and their growing presence in leadership positions.

The meeting also addressed the role of national women’s institutions in supporting and promoting these accomplishments at regional and international levels.

The discussions emphasised the importance of sharing successful experiences and best practices within the Gulf Cooperation Council to serve as models reflecting the progress made by Gulf women, particularly in entering advanced technology sectors and promising domains.