Tributes were paid to Bahraini women from all walks of life on first-ever Bahrain Women's National Day and Cabinet members hailed their crucial role in ensuring social progress and prosperity.

His Majesty King Hamad will patronise the event under the theme 'I read, learned and participated' marking 80 years since government education was first established.

It is the brainchild of Shaikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of King Hamad and chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW).

She also approved the slogan which epitomises women's the crucial role of women in Bahrain's development.

Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa said: 'Bahrain's efforts to empower women have succeeded in ensuring them leading executive, legislative and judicial positions.'

'Bahraini women have proved their credentials in presiding over leading global organisations apart from playing a crucial part in national development.'

The Premier also lauded the efforts of the SCW in empowering women.

The SCW and Bahrain's Women Union seized the opportunity to extend greetings to all women as they assume their role in fostering future generations.

Public and private institutions were also not to discriminate against women in workplaces, they said in a statement.

Equal treatment and fair opportunities would enable women them to add value to the national development endeavour, the statement said.

Both associations were also united in hailing women's contribution to nation-building efforts through government and private institutions.

They paid tribute to activists in all women's associations, boards of Islamic societies and women's committees.

They also vowed to continue efforts aimed at promoting women as true partners in building the nation and spearheading its development.

'We hope this National Day will serve as a reminder to rethink Bahraini women's priorities and exert utmost efforts to implement them.

The plight of kindergarten employees was singled out as an issue requiring prompt action to reorganise their profession and specify their work, thus preserving their rights.

The efforts aimed at helping children of foreign wives married to Bahrainis came under the spotlight.

The SCW-BWU joint statement also stressed the need to promote a family law, deploring the absence of a Sharia-inspired document organising family relationships.

The statement also expressed the hope that December 1 would represent a qualitative leap forward on the path to women's empowerment.

Meanwhile, the business community joined ranks to hail women's economic contribution.

'Granting women their inalienable political, economic and social rights would be the best of honours,' said Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Dr Essam Fakhroo.

He said former women employees of BCCI were being honoured in recognition of their efforts. Recent statistics show that businesswomen make up a substantial 15 per cent of overall BCCI members, including a board member.

Sakana gesture

Sakana Holistic Housing Solutions too celebrated the Bahrain’s first Women’s Day with its female staff.

Women comprise 43 per cent of the Islamic finance provider’s workforce – well above the industry average where female employees comprise in excess of 25 per cent of the workforce.

Sakana CEO R. Lakshmanan, said: “Today, we offered our female employees a token of our appreciation for their marvelous achievements over the last two years since Sakana was established. As a wider gesture, we are also giving our male employees a gift for their wives, mothers, or sisters.”

Bahrain’s progress in the arena of women’s professional development has been made possible by forward-looking constitutional reform, but also