MANAMA, MARCH 3 (BNA) BAHRAINI WOMEN HAVE CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO BUILDING THE BAHRAINI COMMUNITY , HIS MAJESTY KING HAMAD BIN ISA AL KHALIFA SAID.
THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OCCUPY LEADING POSTS IN VARIOUS SECTORS WITH THEIR ABILITIES AND COMPETENCE, HIS MAJESTY SAID. OUT OF ITS BELIEF IN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ROLE OF WOMEN, BAHRAIN HAS WORKED ON PROVIDING THEM WITH THE MEANS AND FACILITIES REQUIRED FOR THEM TO EFFECTIVELY SERVE THEIR COUNTRY, HIS MAJESTY SAID. HIS MAJESTY WAS SPEAKING TODAY IN THE PRESENCE OF THE WIFE OF HIS MAJESTY, THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL FOR WOMEN /SCW/ SHAIKHA SABEEKA BINT IBRAHIM AL KHALIFA AT A MEETING WITH FIRST EGYPTIAN LADY, SUZANNE MUBARAK, THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE SUZANNE MUBARAK WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL PEACE MOVEMENT, CURRENTLY VISITING THE KINGDOM TO ATTEND THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOSTED BY BAHRAIN. HIS MAJESTY WELCOMED MUBARAK AND PRAISED HER SINCERE EFFORTS TOWARDS SERVING WOMAN CAUSES AND HER PROMINENT ROLE IN DEFENDING WOMEN RIGHTS AND HELPING THEM ENHANCE THEIR ABILITIES THROUGH SUITABLE PLANS AND PROGRAMMES. HIS MAJESTY HOPED THAT THE RESULTS OF THE CONFERENCE, HELD UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF WIFE OF HIS MAJESTY AND SCW CHAIRWOMAN SHAIKHA SABEEKA BINT IBRAHIM AL KHALIFA, WOULD INDUCE FURTHER COOPERATION AND COORDINATION IN PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO INVOLVING WOMEN IN THE PROCESS OF COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE THEM A BETTER FUTURE AND MORE EMPOWERMENT. FURTHERMORE, HIS MAJESTY HAILED THE ROLE OF ARAB WOMEN IN VARIOUS AREAS AND DIRECTED FOR HOLDING MORE EVENTS, FORUMS AND CONFERENCES TO GIVE WOMEN A MORE IMPORTANT ROLE IN PUBLIC LIFE. IN THIS REGARD, HIS MAJESTY PRAISED THE EFFORTS OF SCW CHAIRWOMAN SHAIKHA SABEEKA BINT IBRAHIM TOWARDS PROMOTING THE ROLE OF WOMEN AND EMPOWERING THEM TO HOLD ADVANCED POSITIONS IN POLITICAL AND PUBLIC LIFE. THESE EFFORTS HAVE ALSO SUPPORTED THE ENDEAVORS OF BAHRAIN WOMEN TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND BOOST THEIR STATUS FOR SERVING BAHRAIN IN VARIOUS DISCIPLINES. AT THE MEETING, HIS MAJESTY PRESENTED SUZZANE MUBARAK WITH THE FIRST CLASS OF THE SHAIKHA ISA BIN SALMAN AL KHALIFA DECORATION, IN APPRECIATION FOR HER ROLE IN SUPPORTING WOMEN CAUSES. THE MEETING WAS ATTENDED BY THE ROYAL COURT MINISTER, MINISTER OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION AND THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE SCW. FOLLOWING THE MEETING, SUZANNE MUBARAK EXTENDED HER THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO HIS MAJESTY FOR THE GESTURE. SHE SAID SHE WAS PROUD OF RECEIVING THE DECORATION, WHICH SHE SAW AS AN HONOURING FOR ALL ARAB WOMEN WORKING TO SPREAD SECURITY, PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN THEIR COUNTRIES. MUBARAK ALSO PRAISED THE STRONG RELATIONS BETWEEN BAHRAIN AND EGYPT. SHE THANKED SCW CHAIRWOMAN SHAIKHA SABEEKA FOR THE EXCELLENT PREPARATION FOR THE CONFERENCE AND THE OUTSTANDING SELECTION OF SPEAKERS. THE CONFERENCE HAS BOLDLY TAKEN UP THE CAUSE OF FIGHTING THE CRIME OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SHE SAID. SHE ALSO LAUDED THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CONFERENCE WHICH TACKLED LEGAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THIS ISSUE. MUBARAK STRESSED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SPREADING AWARENESS ON THIS ISSUE, NOTING THAT SUCH CONFERENCES WERE AN EFFECTIVE MEAN OF ACHIEVING THAT WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE MEDIA. NTQ/ 03-MAR-2009 20:12