Bahrain has seen notable progress in economically empowering women, earning a commendable position in a recent international assessment. The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2024 (WBL 2024) report highlights a substantial 30.6% improvement in Bahrain’s WBL 2.0 index since 2018.
The report, which evaluates laws and regulations impacting women’s economic roles across 190 economies, underscores Bahrain’s significant strides in several areas. Notably, the kingdom achieved perfect scores in indicators related to women’s pay and pensions. The pay indicator experienced a 100% increase, while both workplace and pension indicators saw a 50% rise. Additionally, the marriage indicator improved by 20%, and the entrepreneurship indicator by 25%.
Expert opinions collected for the WBL 2024 report reflect positively on Bahrain’s legislative environment. The kingdom’s expert opinion score stands at 92.5 out of 100, surpassing both the global average of 65.7 and the Middle East and North Africa regional average of 66.0. Bahrain earned perfect scores in categories such as freedom of movement, women’s decisions to work, post-maternity work, business initiation and management, property and inheritance rights, and pensions.
These achievements highlight the comprehensive development process championed by His Majesty King Hamad, with substantial support from His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The report indicates that Bahraini society’s openness, civilization, and awareness have played crucial roles in promoting gender balance and enhancing the kingdom’s standing.
The Supreme Council for Women, led by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, has been instrumental in these advancements. Their efforts in promoting equal opportunities and integrating women’s needs into the broader development agenda have been pivotal.
Bahrain’s dedication to supporting women’s economic empowerment is evident from these positive developments, highlighting the country’s commitment to creating a fair and balanced economy.