Hala bint Mohammed Jaber Al Ansari, Secretary General of Supreme Council for Women (SCW), met Dr. James Holmes, Secretary General of the International Communities Organization (ICO) in the United Kingdom, and Sidiqa Masoud Ahmed, Director of Strategic Business Development at the International University of Management.
Al Ansari highlighted the Bahraini model in supporting women’s advancement and its outputs that have been reflected in the active participation of Bahraini women in the various areas of national development.
The meeting also shed light the contributions of the SCW since its establishment in 2001, to raise the competitiveness of women in development based on equality and the integration of women’s needs in plans and programmes, in order to create opportunities for them to improve their choices in quality of life, lifelong learning and family stability.
Al Ansari praised ICO efforts in creating more justice and peace, and its efforts to enhance international stability based on respect for the sovereignty of states and the unique natures of societies, and linking that with economic development in which everyone actively contributes, including women.
The Secretary General of SCW pointed out that there are a number of common areas of interest between the SCW and the ICO that include promoting women’s rights within the human rights system, enhancing women’s economic participation and their enterprenurship opportunties through capacity-building programs, and facilitating their access to finance and technology sources, and to encourage innovation.
Dr. Holmes gave a briefing about ICO work process, the efforts of the organization in supporting the building of empowered societies by creating a strong network of diplomats, academics, lawyers, policy practitioners, researchers, and representatives of organizations, for the comprehensive empowerment in societies, bridging the gap between men and women, and integrating women’s rights in development fields.
The Secretary General of the ICO acknowledged the advanced Bahraini experience in empowering and supporting women.
He expressed ICO’s keenness to study this experience carefully and benefit from it in the organization’s work, to cooperate with the SCW and to work at the regional and international levels in order to achieve common goals.
Source: Bahrain News Agency