A record 30 women are expected to contest the forthcoming parliamentary and municipal elections.

Of them, 24 will contest for the parliament. The Wa'ad National Democratic Action Society and the National Unity bloc have already fielded Dr Munira Fakhro and Shahzaleen Khamees, respectively.

Both filed their papers in their constituencies - Dr Munira in Isa Town, District 4 and Shahzaleen in Nabi Saleh, District 5 in the Capital Governorate - on the first day of the registration on Thursday.

Dr Munira, being backed by Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, looked relaxed and confident when the Tribune approached her yesterday.

The unique thing about Dr Munira is her focus on the common man. She wants to help create a link between education and employment, work for better retirement benefits and housing units.

The Wa'ad candidate enjoys a huge following among the womenfolk in her constituency. "I am in the final process of reviewing my election manifesto that covers education, health, constitutional reforms, corruption and housing," Dr Munira told the Tribune.

"Look, one of the main problems in my constituency is housing. A large number of families have been waiting for houses to be allocated by the government. I believe that there is no shortage of houses. It is only the administrative process that needs to be accelerated so that the beneficiaries do not have to wait for years.

"The national budget is my another concern. I wish the government made it more transparent for the parliament to discuss it threadbare as far as the allocations for education, health services etc are concerned.  Else, the debate in the House becomes a ritual, which should not be the case."

Dr Munira is also worried about the unemployment rates. "If I make it to the parliament, I would try to be part of the education committee to do my bit to solve the issue. Education should take into consideration labour market requirements so that the skills and competence of graduate jobseekers match with the market needs." Sources told the Tribune that of about 13,000 registered with the employment bureau, 75 per cent are women.

Asked about the political naturalisation, Dr Munira protested against the recent decision to allow naturalised people to exercise franchise this time around. "The decision violates the 1963 naturalisation law which clearly stipulates that a naturalised person can vote only after completion of 10 years. According to this rule, the recently naturalised people cannot vote this time," she said.

According to Dr Munira, the judiciary should be independent and the freedom of expression honoured. There should be no government interference.

Touching upon the family law, Dr Munira said, "I have been working on a family law that will not discriminate against women. The issue has been discussed by the outgoing parliament. Why some people are trying to derive political mileage out of it, I do not understand.

"Similarly, in order to protect the rights and interests of women, we need to update the property ownership law. For example, take the case of a widow or a woman thrown out by her husband. There should also be better laws to protect women's rights and ensure a secure future for them," she said.

Shahzaleen Khamees, a lawyer by profession and and the only woman candidate fielded by the National Unity bloc told the Tribune, "The time has come for women to conquer all the fields including the parliament.
 
We would try to enrich the democratic experience and encourage women to work in various sectors."

She emphasised the need to introduce laws to protect the interests of women and help them to be on an equal footing with their male counterparts.

"It is tough for a woman to contest the elections since they lack experience.   In western countries, women receive training to help improve their leadership and analytical skills. There are not many female parliamentarians who can guide us in the elections which is essential for first-timers."

Shahzaleen said, "In case, no woman makes it to the parliament, the quota system should be implemented to keep a certain percentage of seats for women in the municipal councils and the parliament." 

By Sandeep Singh Grewal Contributor

© Bahrain Tribune 2006

 

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