Dr. Al-'Awadi: We Support Ban Ki Moon’s Campaign to Combat Violence against Women

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the General Director of the Supreme Council for Women, Lulwa Salih Al-'Awadi, affirmed Bahrain’s support of the UN Secretary General’s campaign to intensify measures and to put an end to all forms of violence against women. According to Al-'Awadi, this can be achieved through the organization of several activities which aim to spread a culture that combats

Lulwa Salih Al-'Awadi
violence against women, and called on all official and civil Bahraini institutions to support this cause. Awadi said that violence against women in Bahrain comes mainly from within the family and one of its main reasons is marriage disputes and followed by procedural constraints, which necessitate the need to develop an integrated system for the provision of legal and judicial assistance to women. She stated that the Supreme Council for Women has recommended the amendment of the Sharia (Islamic) Procedures Law in order to establish urgent courts, and also the Law of Evidence in civil and commercial areas in order to facilitate the proof of women's financial contribution. The Council has also suggested a number of measures including the establishment of a Fund to maintain women (Nafaqa); the allocation of family courts to execute court decisions on family matters; the criminalization of neglecting children and failure to support children. This in addition to the preparation of a model marriage document which guarantees the rights of both men and women, providing legal aid to all women in need. Finally, the Council has recommended the adoption of family laws as well as devising a manual indicating women's rights and obligations under the Sharia' and how to use these rights before the Sharia' Courts.