Will ‘Pink Wave’ make a mark in Bahrain elections this year?
Record number of women vying for parliamentary, municipal seats
ANALYSIS
Ahistorically high number of women is contesting Saturday’s parliamentary and municipal elections in Bahrain. When the kingdom held its first national polls in 2002, only eight women signed up. The remaining 169 candidates were men.
“It is time for Bahraini women to lead the parliament, especially as 47 candidates are running in more than 26 constituencies, most of whom hold academic degrees,” Hala Al Ansari, secretarygeneral of the Supreme Council for Women, said last week.
The council is the official body tasked with elevating the status of women politically, socially and economically.
‘System unfair to women’
Women candidates are blamed for not having the knowledge, aptitude and skills to communicate with voters.
“Talking with complete strangers about issues was a social challenge for many women,” Amani, a journalist, said. “There was a great deal of willpower and ■ ■ determination to go ahead, but society was not ready.”
In the 2006 elections, Lateefa Al Gaood, an accountant, made history by becoming the first woman in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to be elected to parliament.
Women’s rights advocates say voters and media should have given female candidates greater consideration. “The media was not fair towards women in 2002 and 2006,” said Shahzalan Khamis, a lawyer who tried twice to win a seat in the lower chamber. “The press was obviously under the spell of specific political groups and focused on the men while ignoring women.”
None of the three religiouspolitical societies that in 2006 dominated the lower chamber nominated or supported a female candidate. In 2010, they again decided not to name or support women.
Al Menbar and the now-dissolved Al Wefaq explained they could not field a woman candidate as they felt she would not secure enough votes. Al Asala, the Salafi formation, argued it did not believe in women being involved in a political process.
Making strides
According to official figures, 49 women initially signed up to run in this year’s elections, 41 for the parliament and eight for the municipal elections. In the last polls in 2014, there were 36 women candidates.
“Women are capable of making changes in parliament. Society has made great progress in empowering women politically. I hope we can reach a good number this year,” Aalia Al Junaid, running for the first time, said.
Sawsan Mohammad Kamal, a candidate, said that her election depends on how conscious voters are. “I am optimistic about their keenness to elect competent candidates who can achieve their aspirations,” she said.