Progress Amid Resistance

BAHRAIN 79RecommendationsF Local NGOs should provide training for female political candidateson how to run successful political campaigns, mobilize popular support,and effectively engage the media. They should also organize networkingevents in which successful female candidates from other Arabnations could share their election strategies with female political leadersin Bahrain.F The government should abolish Article 134 of the penal code so thatgovernmental and NGO representatives, including women’s rightsactivists, may take part in meetings and discussions with foreign entitiesabout issues pertaining to Bahrain without fear of persecution.F The government should appoint a larger number of women to theConsultative Council and the judiciary, especially the Shari‘a courts,and place more women in decision-making positions.F Secular women’s rights organizations should initiate a frank dialoguewith religious groups. Such a dialogue would enable discussions aboutreligion, women, and politics, and would provide opportunities forstrategic cooperation.SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTSThe social and cultural rights of Bahraini women are greatly affected bytraditional societal norms, which place higher premiums on the rightsand preferences of men. As a result, women tend to be treated unequallyin diverse areas of social and community life. Within the last five years,however, modifications have been made to housing and unemploymentbenefits in order to protect both men and women from poverty. Theestablishment of the Women’s Union and greater participation by women’sNGOs has further increased women’s influence in society, but their powerstill remains limited.Women and men have equal access to health care, which is providedto citizens free of charge and to resident noncitizens for a low fee. Thegovernment has placed great importance on health care rights, which haveim proved significantly in recent years. Life expectancy in 2006 was 76years for women and 74 years for men, up from 74 years for women and72 years for men in 2000. According to the World Health Organization,the maternal mortality rate during childbirth is 32 in 100,000, which is