Manama: The Committee on Women in the Nursery and Kindergarten Sector at the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) held its first meeting, led by Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa. The meeting focused on evaluating the committee's responsibilities, which include identifying challenges and needs faced by women in the sector, and proposing policies to improve their working conditions.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the committee aims to suggest a regulatory framework to enhance licensing standards for early education institutions, ensuring that these standards address the needs of women in the sector. The committee is also set to recommend training programs to develop skills and foster collaboration with relevant ministries and organizations supporting early education.
The committee reviewed efforts made from 2017 to 2023, which involved assessing the needs of women in early education and launching the "National Educator and Teacher Programme." This initiative, in collaboration with the University of Bahrain, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Education, and funded by the Labour Fund "Tamkeen," aimed at improving work in nurseries and kindergartens. The committee acknowledged a study by Tamkeen on the status of women working in these settings.
Discussions also included proposals from the SCW's General Secretariat on the committee's priorities for 2025-2026, focusing on policy development to enhance employment conditions for women in nurseries and kindergartens. The committee plans to implement training and awareness programs to improve the quality of the early education sector.
Members agreed to prioritize the study of women's conditions in the sector and review relevant laws to address their situation in upcoming phases.