On Tuesday, the Supreme Council for Women hosted a group of media professionals, journalists and writers to identify and discuss the details of the “national plan for the advancement of Bahraini women 2025-2026”, where it was clear that the council did not want to be satisfied with announcing a plan from above the platforms, but rather wanted to “become familiar”, and the word here is accurate, in the opinion of the fourth authority as the eyes of society and its ears, and most importantly its voice.
The press and the media are not only a mirror of what is happening, but an effective way to involve people in understanding the major decisions and policies, especially those that touch half of society; woman.
In this meeting, the proposal was not a cold media full of technical terms, but rather a transparent dialogue on the details of the plan, which comes as part of a series of efforts that have been continuing for decades to enhance the position of Bahraini women, led by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the wife of the country of the country, the head of the Supreme Council for Women, who was present in her spirit and directives in every line and phrase.
The new plan came as an extension and modernization of the national strategy that was approved in 2005, and it is not satisfied with repeating slogans, but rather is based on four realistic and specific fields; Family stability, economic participation, decision -making, and quality of life.
They are areas related to the entire society, because the renaissance of women cannot be separated from the renaissance of the family, institutions, economics, and even general cultural discourse.
What drew attention to the presentation made by Professor Lulwa Al -Awadi, Secretary -General of the Council, is the council’s insistence on building the above, not jumping on it.
The plan included a review of the previous initiatives, an analysis of the gaps, and in order not to remain any good idea locked in the drawers. There was also an affirmation of the development of measurable indicators, and the identification of accurate concepts of each axis, which is important to cut off the way of loose interpretations that often abort the plans.
On the other hand, the participation of the media was full of attention and smart questions, which confirms that there is a real desire to transfer this plan from its official framework to the public space, some colleagues have called for the necessity of renewing the media discourse about women, neither as a victim nor as just as an individual success story, but as a real force that contributes to development, produces, runs, and adopts.
As for the ground, there are indications that cannot be ignored; Bahraini women today are present in decision -making locations, they are strongly present in the public sector, and their way is steadfastly in the fields of economics. There are supportive programs, such as the political empowerment program that started since 2002, and residential and social policies that have already started to address many issues.
Here comes the role of the media, not as accompanying the plan, but as a critical partner, because the major issues cannot tolerate compliments, so what is required of the media today to stop eating women as “councils” or “star of women’s day”, and to begin to hold institutions accountable for the implementation of what was stated in this plan, measuring their impact, and following up the change of indicators year after year.
The national plan for the advancement of Bahraini women is not a working paper, but a vision document. It will not succeed unless it comes out of the headquarters of the Supreme Council for Women to every home, school and institution, and across every screen, platform and platform, and here our real role begins as media professionals to be bridges between the council and society, between the paper and reality, between ambition and implementation.
