Bahraini women have set up a new society aimed at spreading information about the legal rights of women in the Gulf country, reported the Gulf Daily News.
The Bahrain Womens Society also aims to increase the awareness of women about their rights, globalization, information technology, environment, health, culture, family and multicultural interaction, said its president, Wajeeha Al Baharna.
"This society has been launched after three months of preparation, where 24 founding members came together to map out the best way such a society could be of value to women in Bahrain," she told the paper.
Wajeeha said 40 women had already applied for membership in the society, not to be confused with the fledgling Bahrain Womens Union.
"We are looking forward to women from different nationalities, from all walks of life to join us in order for us to achieve our goals," she continued.
"We would like to invite any woman who feels she can contribute positively to the environment to join us."
The society, said Wajeeha, has seven different committees from which women could choose.
"The members can decide to work in any one of seven different committees and also participate in the different workshops and seminars we are planning to organize, which aims at providing women with knowledge and skills in a number of fields," she said.
The committees are community service, children and youth, public relations and information, arts and talent development, culture, health and environment and women's rights.
Wajeeha said the society would offer training in fields that are often not well-known among women in Bahrain, such as legal rights, non-traditional career opportunities and environmental issues.
"Spreading knowledge about the legal rights of women is a priority," she said.
In 1996, international human rights watchdog Amensty International repotred that Bahrain women and children as young as seven had been arrested, beaten and threatened in custody.
Amnesty said that since the outbreak of "pro-democracy" activities in 1994, many Bahraini women had joined in public protests, a shift from their traditional role away from the public arena.
Scores of women were beaten for having joined in pro-democracy demonstrations or for trying to prevent the arrest of a male relative. Some were held as "hostages" in order to coerce male relatives to hand themselves over to the authorities while others were detained, apparently as punishment for the opposition activities of their male relatives, according to the report.
"Some women were also arrested in order to deter other women from joining public protests. Most were held incommunicado, some in solitary confinement, for up to two months before being released, usually without charge or trial," according to Amnesty.
In April 1995, 20 professional women sponsored a petition addressed to the Amir asking for an end to the cycle of violence, a national dialogue and the restoration of democratic rights. Three of them were dismissed from their jobs because they refused to withdraw their names from the petition – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
