Bahrain's Supreme Council for Women (SCW) will be organising a high-level conference on "Women in Public Life: From Policies to Impact" in association with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from December 8 to 10.

The event is being held under the patronage of Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, Wife of the King of Bahrain and President of the SCW.

It will draw high-level representatives including ministers and heads of international and regional organizations working in the areas of men's affairs, policy-makers and practitioners from countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) and the countries of OECD, as well as participants from specialists from inside and outside Bahrain, said a statement from SCW.

The summit will focus on highlighting the efforts of the Mena region with regards to women’s participation in public life. It will also take stock on the progress in implementing the regional recommendations to strengthen gender equality in public life included in the OECD-CAWTAR report "Women in Public Life: Gender, Law and Policy in the Mena".

The report highlights the main trends of mainstreaming women’s needs, policies and the legal settings across the region. It also presents recommendations related to policies based on international standards and good practices from OECD and Mena countries.

The conference is expected to discuss several issues, most notably promoting women’s participation in public life for inclusive economic policies, and equal opportunities in the private sector, promoting equal opportunities in parliamentary practices, and the role of civil society institutions. In addition to, building accountability – from strategy to impact, it added.

The OECD was established in 1948 as a major international economic organization with a membership of 34 countries. One of its key objectives is the commitment to support the sustainable growth projects and job creation, as well as to maintain the financial stability of the member countries in particular.

The Paris-headquartered OECD is committed to sustainable growth, employment support, raising living standards, maintains financial stability, assist other countries in economic development, and contributes to the growth of world trade.

It is one of the largest and most reliable sources of comparable statistics and economic and social data states.

Bahrain had ranked first with respect to the participation of women in senior management position in the public sector in its 2013 report, where the percentage of women employed in the public sector in the administrative senior positions was 45 per cent in the kingdom which exceeded the average in comparison to other Mena countries which was 29.1 per cent, said a statement from SCW.

In addition, the participation rate of Bahraini women in middle management positions amounted to 59 per cent, it added.-TradeArabia News Service