Fifth Goal: Gender Equality
Empowerment of women and girls
The institution of the Supreme Council for Women, chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of the King of Bahrain, has been a complementary step to the efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain for empowering women. The council consists of sixteen public women figures and women with experience in women's affairs.
Moreover, an award to empower Bahraini women has been created after the name of HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, by a Royal Order of His Highness His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, may Allah preserve and sponsor him. The award is granted every two years to institutions of the public and private sectors that adhere to the standards approved for women empowerment, and which thrive to create an organizational and administrative environment for the Bahraini women to work within. This award supports the attainment of equal opportunities for both sexes and has been actually granted to a number of government institutions and private sector companies from 2006 to 2016.
The Ministry of Social Development has also applied a set of other projects in contribution to this field as follows:
(Khatwa) Program for Home-based Projects
Women constitute the largest segment benefiting from the services of the integrated Step Program (Khatwa) that aims to empower the Bahraini citizen economically and increase the size of the economic returns for him through encouraging household business. The program also shares in enhancing the productive and administrative capabilities of citizens through the centres of specialized productive families established in all governorates of the Kingdom. It is worth noting that the percentage of female beneficiaries of these services reaches %77. Step Program also provides initial and professional training and contributes to the opening of production units equipped with all the requirements needed for running production and marketing products locally and internationally through the exhibitions continuously hold as well as other local sales outlets for marketing and distribution of products such as the Capital Mall for Bahraini Handmade Products and Sitra Centre for Productive Families. Such centres represent specialized fully-integrated foundations for manufacturing free services of long-term packed foodstuff under strict health supervision to be introduced to citizens.
Family Protection
Providing shelter for both sexes in the field of violence / beggary / homelessness / children exposed to abuse / children at risk / alternative provisions programs.
- Inquiry about Child Protection Center & Child Helpline 998
- Inquiry about Child Welfare Home (Betelco Home)
- Inquiry about Boys Welfare Office
- Inquiry about "Dar Al-Aman" Service
- Inquiry about “Dar Al Karama” Homeless and Beggars Shelter Service