UN recognises for Bahrain’s top award

Tribune news service

Bahrain’s decade-long national award for women empowerment has received global recognition.
The new award is named after Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty King Hamad and Supreme Council for Women (SCW) president, and will now come under UN Women.
The council has been tasked by UN Women to come up with criteria for the Princess Sabeeka Global Award for Women Empowerment, which will be announced during the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women to be held in New York.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between council secretary general Hala Al Ansari and UN assistant secretary general and deputy executive director for policy and programme Dr Yannick Glemarec at the SCW headquarters in Riffa. Present were Princess Sabeeka and Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. Princess Sabeeka said that His Majesty’s support to the council, since it was set up 15 years ago, has contributed positively to positioning it in the forefront of national institutions that have accomplished great strides in strengthening Bahrain’s position internationally.
“The launch of this award globally is a result of the efforts of the council to highlight achievements that reflect the progress of the status of women at the national level as well as publicising
best practices that are active in enhancing the status of women globally in
an effort to achieve development
goals related to achieving gender justice,” she said.
“The council contacted UN Women to launch the award globally to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the launch of the national edition of the award, and the success it has attained in reinforcing the importance of the support and empowerment of women in both the public and private sector, achieving the intended required objectives.
“It is a privilege for Bahrain, represented by the council, to portray this experience globally, giving an opportunity for other countries to benefit from this experience, especially with the council working towards becoming a global centre for expertise in all that is related to the empowerment and affairs of women.”
Shaikh Khalid said international recognition for Princess Sabeeka Award is a major achievement for Bahrain. “We feel proud that the award is now going global through the efforts of the council,” he said.
Al Ansari said in a Press conference that the award will be funded by all
national winners with all costs, including administrative, not exceeding BD200,000.
““The award, which will be on a three-year term, will be open to public, private and civil society institutions, individuals all over the world and will be funded through our national winners and will not exceed BD200,000 including administrative costs.”
“UN Women is flexible and has given us freedom to determine criteria for the award. We have suggested that the award be presented by the King at a gala ceremony in Bahrain to mark the 100th anniversary of Bahrain’s municipal work through the establishment of the Manama Municipality in 1919 and its official law in 1920 with people having a say in services presented to them, women included.”
Al Ansari said a more comprehensive memorandum of understanding will be signed later this year to outline the general framework of the partnership and co-operation between both entities in all areas of women empowerment.