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Women’s Political Participation in Bahrain
Abstract
Bahrain is at a major crossroads. With the unaddressed demands of the Pearl Roundabout protests in 2011 and the failure of the ensuing National Dialogue to introduce tangible political and constitutional reforms, the Bahraini regime has managed to maintain the status quo while making minimum concessions to different opposition groups. The culmination of this gridlock is clearly manifested in Bahrain's parliamentary elections that took place in November 2014—notable for the absence of opposition forces—and the dominance of independent voices with no clear ideological or political affiliation in the current Lower House. Undoubtedly, this political stalemate not only impacts the country’s balance of power, but also has a direct effect on the status of women's rights in Bahrain. Notwithstanding the steady efforts by the government to promote Bahraini women’s educational and health outcomes (UNICEF 2011) over the past decades, women continue to face numerous obstacles due to the conflict between tradition/tribalism and modernity (Al Gharaibeh 2011) on the one hand, and the struggle for power between the rival political forces in the country, on the other. Furthermore, despite the long history of women’s cross-sectarian political activism through both formal and informal channels, the country’s increasing political fragmentation has led to a deep schism among women’s groups, dividing them into “loyalist” or “opponent” camps, with little or no attention paid to the core feminist issues of particular importance to women in Bahrain. The discussion will shed light on the transformation of Bahraini women’s roles before, throughout, and after the Arab Spring while placing it in the context of the dynamics of women’s activism in both formal and informal venues in Bahrain since the inception of its brief period of political liberalization, between 2000 and 2011. In addition, this discussion aims to explore the impact of the current political situation on the status of women in the aftermath of the Pearl Roundabout events and prospects for women’s political empowerment in Bahrain.
Discipline
Political Science
Geographic Area
Bahrain
Sub Area
Middle East/Near East Studies