Manama: Lulwa bint Saleh Al Awadhi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), participated in the remote Arab preparatory meeting for the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70).
According to Bahrain News Agency, the meeting focused on the theme "Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers." It was attended by ministers and representatives from national mechanisms concerned with women's affairs in the League of Arab States (LAS) member states.
The initial session included a presentation on the CSW70's priority theme, while the subsequent session discussed the draft Arab statement for the session. Bahrain also took part in the 45th session of the Arab Women's Committee of the Arab League, chaired by Qatar, with representatives from national policy mechanisms concerned with women's issues in Arab states.
The agenda included discussions on the Sustainable Development Agenda in the Arab region from 2023 to 2028, covering reports on activities by the Social Affairs Sector, Women's Department, and Technical Secretariat of the Arab Women's Committee. Topics such as the Pink Portfolio initiative for women's health, combating violence against women, and the Arab Women Excellence Award were discussed.
The agenda further addressed the women, peace, and security agenda, highlighting initiatives like the Arab Women Mediators Network and the Arab Strategy for the Prevention and Response to Combat All Forms of Violence in Asylum Context. Economic and social empowerment of women in the Arab region was also on the agenda, focusing on the regional programme for women's empowerment and the Arab Observatory for Women's Economic Development.
Al Awadhi praised the General Secretariat of the Arab League for its support of joint Arab action on women's issues and expressed gratitude to Qatar and Palestine for their roles in chairing sessions. She emphasized Bahrain's national vision for women's empowerment, aligning with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's supported strategy since 2005. This strategy has led to national plans for gender balance and equal opportunities.
She highlighted the establishment of equal opportunity committees in public and private sectors and initiatives encouraging women's advancement in entrepreneurship and digital transformation. These efforts aim to enhance women's representation in decision-making positions and emerging fields.
Al Awadhi invited committee members and national mechanism representatives to participate in the Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women's Empowerment and in a side event on Gulf women's status, organized by Bahrain during CSW70 in New York. This event will be coordinated with the Gulf Cooperation Council and UN Women.