Businesswomen promise to stage a strong showing in the upcoming Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) board elections, said a report.

Nine Bahrain Businesswomen's Association (BBS) members have expressed their desire to run in the polls.

They are Afnan Al Zayani, Suhair Boukhammas, Huda Sangur, Khulood Al Qattan, Deema Al Haddad, Dr Lulwa Al Mutlaq, Huda Radhi, Aisha Yacoubi and Ahlam Janahi.

"Businesswomen planning to run in the BCCI elections are not looking for prestige or fake celebrity," BBS chairperson Ahlam Janahi told Akhbar Al Khaleej, our sister paper.

She defended their right to compete in the polls, citing their tangible contribution to trade work and positive participation in all BCCI subcommittees.

Al Zayani is a BCCI board member and heads a BCCI committee, while Boukhammas is a member of the SMEs and youth committees.

As for Al Haddad, she is a member of the gold committee, while the BBS chairperson herself features in three BCCI committees.

According to Janahi, women candidates would stand a good chance to win when running in different mixed lists. "Women-only lists would be born dead as traders would be reluctant to vote for them," said Janahi.

The BBS chairperson pointed out that some nominees would run in mixed lists while others intend to stand as independent candidates. She hoped that four women candidates at least would be elected, up from two in the previous polls.

She also announced that a media campaign would be launched early next month to back women candidates.-TradeArabia News Service