Today, the Supreme Council for Women stands on the threshold of an exceptional historical milestone as it celebrates the silver jubilee of its founding. A quarter-century since the launch of this national institution is not merely an occasion to recall gains or celebrate achievements; rather, it is an opportunity to assess a national experience that has proven that true women’s empowerment is not achieved by chance or through individual or temporary initiatives, but rather is based on a clear vision and a solid institutional framework that ensures the sustainability of efforts and the accumulation of achievements. This vision culminated in the issuance of a Royal Decree by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the country, may God protect and preserve him, establishing the Supreme Council under the chairmanship of His Majesty’s consort, Her Royal Highness Princess Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, may God protect her. Since 2001, the Council has played a fundamental role in developing national plans for the advancement of women and integrating their needs into development pathways.

Perhaps the “institutionalization of efforts” on behalf of women constitutes one of the most prominent elements of the Bahraini experience’s success; women’s empowerment was not viewed as a separate goal, but rather as an integrated process requiring policies, implementation mechanisms, follow-up, and continuous monitoring. What has been achieved throughout this journey was not the result of isolated efforts, but rather the fruit of gradual strategic planning, clearly embodied in the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women (2025–2026), which translates the provisions of the National Strategy for the Advancement of Bahraini Women adopted by His Majesty the King in 2005. This plan served as a comprehensive framework for promoting women’s advancement and participation across various fields. This approach was based on a set of integrated dimensions. First: Establishing a legislative and policy framework by developing a legal environment and supportive policies to enhance women’s participation in various sectors. Second: Institutionalizing equal opportunities by establishing and activating mechanisms for this purpose in government and private institutions, and making women’s needs and their integration into institutional work an integral part of the planning process rather than merely a discretionary option. Third: Monitoring and measurement based on indicators, data, and analytical studies to identify gaps, assess progress, and guide policies more effectively.

The results of these efforts are evident in the significant presence of Bahraini women at various levels of employment and decision-making. According to the latest statistics from the Supreme Council for Women, Bahraini women accounted for 60% of all Bahrainis employed in the government sector and held 50% of executive positions, in addition to representing 36% of the workforce in the private sector. In the legislative branch, women’s representation stood at 25% in the Shura Council and 20% in the Council of Representatives. These indicators do not merely reflect a rise in participation rates; rather, they point to a transition from the provision of opportunities to the acquisition of tools for influence and leadership.

This approach has helped shift the women’s issue from a framework of demanding empowerment to one of managing empowerment as a sustainable national policy, transforming its trajectory from empowerment to participation, and from participation to progress, ultimately leading to leadership in various fields. The Bahraini experience also reveals that the effectiveness of institutionalization lies not only in the continuity of programs and initiatives, but in their ability to integrate women’s issues into the broader national agenda, with various institutions collaborating to achieve its goals and aligning with economic, social, and political development priorities.
As a quarter-century of service comes to a close, the most important lesson from the Supreme Council for Women’s journey is that a strategic vision—when combined with systematic planning, institutional implementation, and continuous follow-up—can transform empowerment goals into firmly established national achievements. Perhaps the coming phase will pave the way for a shift from institutionalizing empowerment to strengthening the institutionalization of leadership, thereby expanding Bahraini women’s presence in leadership and decision-making positions and maximizing their contribution to the national development process. Thus, celebrating the silver jubilee is not merely a celebration of what has been achieved; it is also an affirmation that building institutions capable of sustainability and development has been—and remains—one of the most important keys to the success of Bahraini women’s experience, and that investing in women is, at its core, an investment in the family, society, the state, and the future of national development.

Note: This article has been automatically translated, the full article is available in Arabic.

May Khaled Al-Siyouf, Research Assistant in the Economic Studies Program