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SCW: Bahrain’s notable progress in gender gap report reflects global leadership in women’s empowerment
The Supreme Council for Women (SCW) has hailed Bahrain’s notable advancement in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, released by the World Economic Forum, as a strong international endorsement of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s ongoing efforts to empower women and promote gender equality.
Lulwa Saleh Al Awadhi, SCW Secretary General, said that Bahrain climbed 12 places globally, now ranking 104th out of 148 countries, with a score improvement from 66.6% in 2024 to 68.4% in 2025. The Kingdom also secured the second position regionally, Gulf and Arab countries, after the UAE.
Al Awadhi emphasised that this progress reflects Bahrain’s comprehensive national strategies and the consistent support of the Kingdom’s leadership, notably the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the direction of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the SCW.
Bahrain ranked first in the Gulf in key areas such as economic participation and opportunity, income equality, and the percentage of women ministers, which now stands at 21.7%. These results, she noted, underscore the effectiveness of national policies aimed at increasing women’s representation in leadership and ensuring equal access to opportunities in the workforce.
The Secretary General attributed these achievements to the implementation of the National Gender Balance Model and other targeted initiatives, aligned with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women 2025–2026.
She further highlighted that the report recognizes Bahrain as one of the top-performing countries in the MENA region in terms of economic inclusion and opportunity for women, reinforcing the Kingdom’s contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.