Bahrain’s wage earning women in the public sector make a better living than men with an average monthly salary of 471 Bahraini dinars ($1,249) compared to BD 450 for males, according to BMA statistics.
In a recently published edition of Economic Indicators , the BMA reveals that between 1998 and 2002 the average monthly wage of Bahraini female workers in the public sector grew by 5.4 percent from BD 447. The average monthly wage of male workers grew by 6.9 percent during the same period, up from BD 421.
The case is different in private sector where male workers earn an average monthly wage of BD 239 compared to BD 225 for women. The figures show that in 1998 private sector women were earning more than men with a salary of BD 262 compared to BD 252 for males.
Since the accession of King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa to the throne in 1999, Bahrain has launched a wide-ranging democratic reform process, within which women’s rights have been an integral part. The King’s wife Sheikha Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa has been acknowledged as a driving force behind the equity movement.
During King Hamad’s reign, women got the right to vote and stand as candidates in elections. Parliamentary elections took place in October 2002 and six women were appointed to Bahrain’s upper chamber of parliament, the Consultative Council. The promotion of women’s rights in Bahrain prompted human rights group Amnesty International to herald a 'New Dawn for Bahraini Women'. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
