The Supreme Council for Women (SCW) has welcomed Bahrain’s marked advancement in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, positioning the Kingdom as a regional leader in gender equality and women’s empowerment.
According to the World Economic Forum’s latest rankings, Bahrain climbed 12 spots globally, now ranked 104th out of 148 countries, with its overall gender parity score rising from 66.6% in 2024 to 68.4% in 2025. Bahrain also achieved the second-highest position among Gulf and Arab countries, just behind the United Arab Emirates.
Lulwa Saleh Al Awadhi, Secretary General of the SCW, said the ranking reflects years of sustained effort and high-level national support, particularly under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the SCW. She noted that these results demonstrate the Kingdom’s dedication to inclusive national development and empowering Bahraini women.
Bahrain led the Gulf region in several key areas including:
- Economic participation and opportunity
- Income equality
- Women in ministerial positions – now at 21.7%
This progress stems from the implementation of the National Gender Balance Model and strategic initiatives tied to Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women (2025–2026).
The report further recognized Bahrain as one of the top-performing countries in the MENA region for economic inclusion and opportunity for women, directly supporting UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.
Al Awadhi stressed the importance of this international validation in reinforcing Bahrain’s commitment to continuing reforms and ensuring equal access to leadership roles, education, and economic resources for all women in the Kingdom.
