Fruitful SCW-Legislature cooperation highlighted

Manama, July 3 (BNA): Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), Hala Al-Ansari, has highlighted the importance of the «Working Together to Achieve Legislative Aspirations» conference, organised by the Shura Council on July 3-4, in developing the political and legislative processes to achieve the national aspirations, in line with the Legislature’s constitutional role in regulating and activating the principles, rights and freedoms, including those that maintain women’s rights and enhance their participation in building the nation. Addressing the main session of the conference, Al-Ansari stressed the leading role played by the Legislative Branch to support Bahraini women’s advancement and institutionalise efforts to integrate women’s needs and fulfill their aspirations. She pointed out that cooperation between the SCW and the Legislature has contributed to achieving positive results, including the adoption of 101 recommendations made by the SCW over the past 18 years on Bahraini women’s issues. She said that cooperation between the two sides has contributed to reducing the time spent in examining Bahraini women’s priorities and turning them into laws, noting that the process takes no more than two legislative sessions now, but used to take more than two legislative terms before, which, she asserted, has placed Bahrain among leading countries not only in fast-tracking the issuance of laws and legislation, but also regarding the fact that its laws are based on realistic analysis of the needs of society and its deplopment requirements. The second day of the conference will feature a work paper to be presented by the Supreme Council for Women on the role of legislators in achieving gender balance.