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BAHRAIN'S leaders say the kingdom is making great strides to end descrimination despite a critical new report just released.
Gender discrimination in the kingdom's public life and employment is distinctly visible and sexual harassment and domestic abuse in the kingdom is rife, according to an 'advance unedited version' of 12 civil societies' submissions to the United Nation's Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review.
It claimed: "Women receive significantly lower remuneration than their male counterparts and the average wage preference of men over women was BD63 in government and BD147 in the private sector."
But Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Nizar Al Baharana, countered the allegations and says he believes Bahrain, although not perfect, was continuing in its bid to empower women.
The findings were submitted to the council for by the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR).
A joint submission made by the International Federation for Human Rights, Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and Bahrain Human Rights Society also said that sexual harassment and domestic abuse against women was commonplace.
They asserted that there was "very little institutional support for victims" and highlighted that spousal rape is not considered a crime according to Bahraini law.
Bahrain was picked as the first country to undergo the council's 'Universal Periodic Review'.
The summary was prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in February ahead of the first working committee to be held in Geneva next month and contains information relating to events that took place over the past four years.
The report also claimed that women were often discriminated against in court decisions and in citizenship rights.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that "Bahrain has no codified personal status laws governing marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance."
They also said that family court judges "consistently favoured men in their rulings and are unapologetically adverse to women's equality."
The rights group also claimed that a female women's rights activist was "harassed" by the government after she criticised the Supreme Council of Women.
The report said: "In 2007 the government intensified its harassment of a women's rights activist following her call for the dissolution of the Supreme Council of Women for failing to do more to advance the status of women in the kingdom."
A submission by the Islamic Human Rights Commission claimed that according to the Bahraini citizenship law of 1963, children of a Bahraini mother are deprived of citizenship if their father is of a different nationality.
The organisation said this violated article nine of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, which "states parties shall grant women equal rights with men with respect to the nationality of their children."
The ACHR also said that migrant workers, especially women domestic workers are subjected to conditions of "involuntary servitude."
They said the women were exposed to physical and sexual abuse, and the withholding of passports, non-payment of wages and restriction of their movements.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Nizar Al Baharana, countered the reports claims. He said: "There is no difference in wages in Bahrain for men or women. But my belief is that we should try to push women into higher posts. Our aspiration is to empower women."
In response to the claims of sexual harassment and domestic abuse he said: "We are not a perfect society. Other countries too have these cases. We must work together to eliminate it. We need to look at the macro side of this as well as the micro side. We need to look at human rights and how we can improve them."
Dr Al Baharana said that issues relating to engagement, marriage and inheritance need to be dealt with sensitively.
"Bahrain is an Islamic country. We have civil laws in most cases but in some there is Sharia law in place. There are certain difficulties," he conceded.
He added: "It is the organisations' rights to express their opinions. We can't answer every report as this is not our position. But we need to keep on improving human rights."
Dr Al Baharana said that he was unable to comment on the alleged harassment of a women's rights activist.
Bahrain's government has also just submitted a First Universal Periodic Review Report to the council.
The report, made up of information from government bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders, said that the Supreme Council for Women plays a "great role in suggesting a general policy for the development of women's affairs and works hard to enable the advancement of women."
This report noted the supreme council's achievements in promoting gender equality, holding workshops to empower women economically and setting up an alimony fund to support divorced women.
However the Women's Union, an NGO, stated in the report that it was "of vital importance" that family affairs were classified and constraints on the passing of the family law were removed.
They also claimed that the amendments made to the Housing Law only "partially benefited women" because of a stipulation that a woman needs her husband's permission to request assistance in owning a housing unit, meaning in the event of divorce she would not be entitled to it.
However, the report also said a ministerial decree had since allowed divorced women to obtain housing with appropriate paperwork.
The Supreme Council of Women also noted in the report that women make up 25 per cent of the Shura Council, and that two women ministers had been appointed, which they said was a "great advance" and demonstrated "the abilities of Bahraini women in decision making roles in various fields."
In terms of foreign women workers, the report said the Ministry of Labour had taken steps to ensure their rights and raise awareness of their rights and remedies for problems. It also noted procedures and policies adopted to realise Bahrain's obligations and pledges regarding human rights on the ground:
The important roles performed by the Supreme Council for Women such as putting a national plan to empower women which focuses on: making decisions, family stability, and economic empowerment
Forming an award for empowering women.
Agreement between the Supreme Council and the Ministry of Finance to provide funding for women's programmes
Providing legal assistance to women
Modifying the procedures law of the Shari'a courts to speed up family issues
Establishment of a fund for divorced women and widows
Regarding co-operation with NGOs and women's societies
The agreement to establish a committee "on the co-operation between the Supreme Council for Women and women's societies"
Signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Women's Union for co-operation purposes.
Vast increase in political participation by women in Bahrain.
