Bahrain’s efforts to empower women economically have yielded positive results, earning the Kingdom an advanced position according to an international report.
The Women, Business and the Law 2024 (WBL 2024) report, issued by the World Bank, shows that Bahrain has achieved a significant 30.6 percent increase in the WBL 2.0 index compared to 2018. The report covers 190 economies and evaluates laws and regulations that influence women’s economic empowerment.
High scores in key indicators
According to the WBL 2024 report, Bahrain scores a perfect 100 out of 100 when it comes to laws affecting women’s pay and the size of a woman’s pension. The pay indicator saw the highest increase at 100 percent, while the workplace and pension indicators rose by 50 percent. The marriage and entrepreneurship indicators also increased, by 20 percent and 25 percent respectively.
Exceeding global and regional averages
The report’s expert opinions score for Bahrain is 92.5 out of 100, higher than both the global average of 65.7 and the Middle East and North Africa regional average of 66.0. Bahrain achieves a perfect 100 out of 100 score on expert opinions related to freedom of movement, women’s decisions to work, women’s work after having children, women starting and running a business, women’s property and inheritance, and women’s pensions.
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These results affirm that women in Bahrain enjoy full rights and gains within the comprehensive development process led by His Majesty King Hamad with the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. They also reflect the openness, civilization and awareness that characterize Bahraini society, contributing to the kingdom’s advanced position and gender balance achievements. The efforts of the Supreme Council for Women, under the presidency of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, have played a key role in advancing Bahraini women, consolidating equal opportunities, and integrating women’s needs into development.
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