Princess Sabeeka's Global Award for Women Empowerment launched

Manama, June 13 (BNA): Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa has confirmed that the support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, throughout the 15 years since the establishment of the Supreme Council of Women has contributed positively to positioning the Council in the forefront of national institutions that have accomplished great strides in strengthening Bahrain's position internationally. During the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding between the Supreme Council for Women and UN Women, to announce the start of the preparatory work to the launch of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women Empowerment to the international community, Her Royal Highness President of the Supreme Council for Women confirmed that the launch of this award globally is a result of the efforts of the Council to highlight achievements that reflect the progress of the status of women on the national level as well as publicizing best practices that are active in enhancing the status of women globally in an effort to achieve the develop goals related to achieving gender justice. Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa commented that the Supreme Council for Women has contacted UN Women to launch Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Award for Women Empowerment globally to coincide with the 10 year anniversary of the launch of the National Edition of the Award, and the success it has managed to attain in reinforcing the importance of the support and empowerment of women in both the public and private sector, achieving the intended required objectives. Her Royal Highness President of the Supreme Council for Women also mentioned that it is a privilege for the Kingdom of Bahrain represented by the Supreme Council for Women to circulate this experience globally, giving an opportunity for other countries to benefit from this experience, especially since the Supreme Council for Women, and 15 years after its establishment is working towards becoming a global centre for expertise in all that is related to the empowerment and affairs of women. Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding, the SCW organized at its headquarters in Riffa, a press conference to announce the start of the preparations for the launch of the international edition of "Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women Empowerment" at the global level in partnership with UN Women. The official announcement, however, of the start of the registration process for the award, will take place during the participation of the Kingdom of Bahrain, headed by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of the King of Bahrain, President of the Supreme Council for Women, in the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women, to be held in New York in March 2017. Hala Al Ansari, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Women, stated that this memorandum aimed at announcing the start of work on the implementation of the Global Award, determining the required documents needed as per the mechanisms adopted by the United Nations. Adding that in the same context, a more comprehensive memorandum of understanding will be signed later this year to outline the general framework of the partnership and cooperation between both entities in all areas of women empowerment. Al Ansari explained during the press conference, that the opportunity to compete for the award is open to public, private and civil society institutions, individuals all over the world. Monetary budgets have been allocated for the award and its details will be announced at a later date showing the breakdown of the award as well as its requirements in order to ensure proper allocation of the budgets towards programs and projects geared to the development and empowerment of women. Al Ansari also explained that the award is initiated based on the vision of "Leadership and excellence in institutional and individuals’ performance in order to achieve sustainable impact in empowering women to perform humanitarian and developmental roles." The award also holds the mission of "encouraging public and private institutions, civil society, as well as individuals to achieve the elements of excellence and leadership towards influential and sustainable efforts in order to work towards women's economic, social and political empowerment in addition to their participation in decision-making within the culture of societal framework." Al Ansari also mentioned that the award aims to ensure the commitment of countries, official agencies and organizations through their legislative, public and private executive authorities, civil society in addition to individuals to adopt non-discriminatory policies against women; to achieve justice in equal opportunities between women and men in various fields; show appreciation to institutional and individual efforts, initiatives and projects that target mainstreaming women’s needs and include the contribution to the positive change in the status of women towards more stable and productive lives; encourage the adoption of methodology to achieve sustainable impact in the development of the status of women in order to ensure they become value-added members within the family and community as well as encourage communities to stimulate their intellectuality and creativity in the field of women empowerment in order to achieve for women, their family and community, more social, economic and political security. "We welcome the coordination with the Supreme Council for Women regarding the launch of ‘Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women Empowerment’. A global award celebrating women´s empowerment will provide an opportunity to recognize and share best practices and innovative solutions to gender inequality" said Yannick Glemarec, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy and Programme of UN-Women . "The Arab Region still has a long way to go to achieve gender equality and end gender-based discrimination. However, steps like this award, and other small and big steps taken by Arab countries to empower women and raise awareness on the importance of this empowerment make us optimistic about the future of gender equality in the region," stated Mohammad Naciri, UN Women Regional Director for Arab States. Award application terms include, that the institution is accredited in their country, for the institution in the private sector or civil society to be licensed formally and committed to the laws enforced in their countries, to complete an application form via the official website of the award, to submit official information and supporting documents to the concerned committee, all subject to the conditions published on the official website in this context. In this respect, a number of provisions have been put in place for the award, such as that there will be a period of two months to apply for the award in each term, and is determined according to the launch date, and each term runs for 3 years, the recipients are chosen in the semi-final stage by the committees that will be formed in accordance with the requirements of the award and the mechanism that will be agreed upon between both parties (Supreme Council for Women and UN Women), the award is withheld in the absence of institutions / individuals who meet the criteria to qualify for the eligibility to attain the award, and that the winning institution or individual has no right to participate in the following term for which the project, initiative, and program had attained the award. --- Supreme Council of Women (SCW) press release.