Derasat and APSA to hold a workshop on “Women and Development in the Gulf”
Derasat and APSA to hold a workshop on “Women and Development in the Gulf”
November 3rd 2019
The Bahrain Center for Strategic, International, and Energy Studies (Derasat), in partnership with the American Political Science Association (APSA) in the MENA region, and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, will organize workshop titled ‘Women and Development in the Gulf’, gathering prominent experts in labor, higher education, and energy, 6-7 November 2019 at Derasat headquarters in Awali, Kingdom of Bahrain.
The workshop will coincide with several national celebrations marking Bahraini Women’s Day, and their contributions to development. The workshop aims to add value to objective discussions on the economic and social empowerment of women, and enhancing their different levels of participation. The opening will include several presentations on economic development priorities, where experts will discuss the reality of Bahraini women’s participation, the most notable challenges and impediments to raising women’s contribution in the national economy, and the necessary mechanisms required for equal opportunities, especially in academic and professional circles.
Derasat Executive Director Mr. Katadah Zaman called the workshop, “an addition to the Kingdom’s efforts to better empower half the national human capital that we depend on as a true and sustainable resource”, adding that, “developing women’s capabilities and raising their profile is part of the overall human development in all advanced societies, and a high-priority national mission in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
This workshop will present some of the latest research on women and development, and it will support and showcase the practices of some female experts from GCC countries. “They will hold constructive discussions with their counterparts from different countries, especially the United States,” He added.
Mr. Zaman also highlighted the anticipated recommendations on raising the profile of women’s contribution on various levels, calling for “further entrusting women in Arab societies to increase their effective input in building nations.” He said, “Derasat values the efforts of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in continuously supporting Bahraini women, and His Majesty’s absolute faith in the huge potential they possess, as well as their ability to compete on local, regional, and international levels. He also praised the efforts of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) headed by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of HM the King, President of the Supreme Council for Women for Women in enhancing the status and progress of Bahraini women in various fields.
Shaikha Nayla Al-Khalifa, Director of Communications and Knowledge, said, “The main topics addressed by this workshop for 2019 involves the role of women in the Gulf in higher education, their effective participation in the labor market – especially in education, and identifying the main recommendations that field experts will come up with to present to decision-makers in the Kingdom of Bahrain and other GCC countries .”
She added, “Derasat has enabled a group of leading Bahraini women to get involved in its work and various achievements, highlighted by appointing women as directors in three of its vital directorates, striving to enhance women’s current and future participation in different managerial and research roles.”
Notably, the American Political Science Association (APSA) was established in 1903 as a professional organization to study political science, serving more than 11 thousand members in over 100 countries, operating through a number of programs and services for individuals, administrations, and organizations. APSA includes accomplished policy experts in all vocational and academic fields who work on furthering the understanding of political challenges, and enhancing democracy and citizenship around the world.