Manama, Jan. 14 (BNA): The inaugural meeting of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) in its ninth term (2025–2028) was presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty the King.
HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim chairs first SCW meeting of ninth term
The Council members were congratulated by HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim on the royal trust bestowed upon them by their nomination to the SCW for its ninth term. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Government, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, were thanked by HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim for their unwavering support of the Council’s work from its founding to the present.
Her Royal Highness praised the royal order issued by His Majesty the King, designating 2026 as the “Year of Isa Al Kabeer”, in commemoration of the founder of the modern state and leader of institutional development, His Highness Isa Al Kabeer, Ruler of Bahrain and its dependencies. She noted that the coincidence of this year with the Supreme Council for Women entering its silver jubilee reflects the Kingdom’s continued approach to building the modern state, which has progressed and evolved under the leadership of His Majesty the King.
While the creation of the SCW represented a major step forward for Bahraini women, HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim pointed out that the current focus is on maintaining these gains, continuing to support Bahraini women, and keeping up with the Kingdom’s swift development in all areas. Her Royal Highness stated that she hoped the SCW would continue to carry out its mandates and goals, supporting Bahraini women’s aspirations in collaboration and partnership with appropriate civil society organizations, private sector organizations, and executive agencies.
HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim thanked the SCW members at the meeting, highlighting the significance of their contribution to the Council’s work through their knowledge and areas of competence. The SCW is moving into a new phase, according to HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim. This phase will involve creating a national strategy that is in line with current events and the advancements made in the 25 years since the SCW’s founding, encouraging Bahraini women to participate in nation-building, and guaranteeing the sustainability of their contributions and excellence in a variety of fields.
Lulwa Al Awadhi, Secretary-General of the SCW, updated the Council on the General Secretariat’s reports on the steps taken to monitor the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women’s (2025–2026) execution. In order to ensure the accomplishment of the plan’s goals and their beneficial effects on Bahraini women’s reality across a range of sectors, the briefing examined follow-up and coordination methods with pertinent authorities as well as the degree of progress made in implementing the plan’s pillars.
Additionally, the Secretary-General gave a report on the General Secretariat’s plans to commemorate Bahraini Women’s Day 2026 and the SCW’s silver jubilee. In addition to outlining suggested ideas and efforts for both events, the study emphasized the significance of using them to highlight Bahraini women’s contributions and their active role in the road of development and advancement, as well as the Council’s journey and accomplishments.
The General Secretariat’s report on the processes involved in preparing the national strategy for Bahraini women for the post-2026 phase was also discussed at the meeting. This report covered the preparatory steps and methodological framework used to develop the new strategy in a way that guarantees alignment with future changes and the sustainability of achieved gains.
