Bahraini Women's Day www.womanthismonth.com December 2022 97 What’s more, in the last decade, we were able to observe how Bahraini women were shining in various fields and at different levels. For instance, we were able to see three Bahraini businesswomen in the Forbes Middle East list for the year 2022: Mona Yousuf Almoayyed, Managing Director at Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons (#13), Najla Al Shirawi, CEO at SICO BSC (#45), and Narjes Farookh Jamal, COO at Bahrain Bourse (#50). Aurora50 is a Gulf-wide social enterprise helping to create inclusive workplaces with a series of diversity and inclusion programmes for businesses. Diana Wilde, the founder of Aurora50, shared her thoughts on the occasion: “The theme for this year’s Bahraini Women’s Day is ‘Read - Learned - Participated’ and we can see that this is being enthusiastically adopted. Bahrain now insists on equal pay for work of equal value, regardless of gender. This has seen it leap 18 places up the World Bank’s international Women, Business and the Law index this year. Worldwide, it has made the most progress on the index’s pay indicator. “Like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain has also eliminated restrictions on women working in jobs previously considered dangerous for them. And the Supreme Council has mandated Equal Opportunity Committees at all Bahraini public- and private-sector organisations”. “As we celebrate the women of Bahrain today, the progress in gender equity at work is clear. Aurora50 believes that organisations will thrive if they champion diversity at all levels - from the board and senior leadership to the newest recruits. The phenomenal changes made to offer equal opportunities and pay in Bahrain this year will help both women and the companies they work for to thrive,” concludes Ms. Wilde. For the people who think that we have reached our limits and ‘women empowerment’ is just a fad that will fade away, we say: “The story has just started, it has no end… and we have no limits!” The Council of Representatives is another recent example of how Bahraini women have paved their path, climbed up the ladder and positioned themselves in the community. The table below illustrates where we were and where we stand as of now (an increase of 20 percent over 20 years): Year Male Female Percentage Growth 2002 40 0 0% - 2006 39 1 2.5% ▲ 2.5% 2010 39 1 2.5% - 2014 37 3 7.5% ▲ 5% 2018 34 6 15% ▲ 7.5% 2022 32 8 20% ▲ 5% The increase in percentages indicates many meanings; but mainly the following: • Women over the years were able to build and accumulate the required competencies (eg. community serving) to be confident enough and nominate themselves for such responsibilities. • Women were able to establish the required trust between them and the people, and between them and the government. They were able to stand out and make a difference. • The number of supporters (be it men or women) to women (with the right capabilities) have increased exponentially, and gender is no longer a prevalent factor to vote as long you vote for the right person.
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