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Supreme Council for Women celebrates its 24th anniversary
August 22, 2025, marks the 24th anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), created as an advisory body under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the foremost supporter of Bahraini women’s advancement. The Council serves as the national reference authority for women’s affairs, chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty the King.
Over the past 24 years, the SCW has achieved numerous accomplishments that have strengthened women’s status and ensured their participation across social, economic, cultural, and political fields. These efforts reflect the Council’s forward-looking vision, which aligns with global developments in women’s empowerment while preserving Bahrain’s national identity and values. Achievements were made in partnership with state institutions, the private sector, and civil society, supported by the government led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, through supportive legislation, strategies, and initiatives.
The Council celebrates this anniversary with a record of achievements that place women’s empowerment as a national priority under Royal patronage. Its programmes and initiatives have addressed the needs of Bahraini women, advancing them to leadership roles and reinforcing their role as key partners in development.
During 2025, the SCW launched the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women (2025–2026) under the theme "Bahraini Women: From Empowerment and Progress towards Leadership". The plan focuses on four priorities: family stability, decision-making, economic participation, and quality of life. Each field includes initiatives covering five aspects: policies, gender-responsive budgeting, awareness and training, audit and oversight, and monitoring and evaluation.
In line with this plan, HRH Princess Sabeeka issued Decision (1) of 2025 establishing the Women’s Committee in the Nursery and Kindergarten Sector to study the conditions of women working in this sector, propose general policies, and develop training and qualification programmes to improve early childhood education.
The Council also announced the opening of women’s support offices in social development centres across Bahrain’s four governorates, strengthening access to support services. HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim also issued Decision (6) of 2025 establishing the Women in Media Committee, based on the outcomes of a meeting with media representatives on the National Plan, to highlight women’s achievements and Bahrain’s progress in this field.
Her Royal Highness continued to support major national events. She patronised the World Businesswomen’s Forum and Exhibition organised by the Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society, the Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa Award for Youth Voluntary Work, the 29th Bahrain Grand Holy Quran Recitation and Memorisation Competition, and graduation ceremonies of the Royal University for Women and Shaikha Hessa Girls’ School.
Regionally, Bahrain hosted the second meeting of the GCC Standing Committee on Women’s Affairs at the SCW headquarters, with delegations from all GCC member states. The SCW also participated in the forum "Developing Institutional Partnerships for Sustainable Development in GCC States" held in Saudi Arabia, which discussed institutional cooperation, successful regional partnerships, challenges and solutions, and the role of regional organisations in sustainable development.
The SCW also took part in the Knowledge Exchange Forum on Women’s Economic Empowerment organised by the UAE Gender Balance Centre.
Internationally, the SCW participated in the third Middle East Sustainability Forum held in Bahrain, attended by over 400 decision-makers and experts to discuss business models, climate action, and innovation. It also took part in the 69th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York, where it launched the third edition of the HRH Princess Sabeeka Global Award for Women’s Empowerment in cooperation with UN Women. The CSW69 session focused on reviewing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, evaluating progress on gender equality, and developing global policies.
The Council continued its national initiatives, including the "Imtiaz" Award for young Bahraini women entrepreneurs, which promotes female talent and success stories in business.
The SCW strengthened national partnerships through memoranda of understanding with the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, and the Royal Humanitarian Foundation, to coordinate support for women during emergencies. It signed another memorandum with the Bahrain Women’s Union to promote cooperation in gender equality, combating violence against women, and family counselling services.
In addition, the SCW signed an agreement with the Institute of Public Administration to deliver joint training programmes aimed at enhancing leadership competencies, promoting gender balance, and supporting the national leadership development programme. A cooperation agreement was also signed with the Shura Council, represented by its Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh, to reinforce work on gender balance.
Looking forward, the SCW will continue to support Bahraini women’s achievements, enhance their participation in family, society, economy, and leadership, and ensure the sustainability of their contributions. The Council remains committed to strengthening women’s presence in leadership and decision-making, while preserving Bahrain’s values, identity, and social cohesion.