Group Calls For Probe After Bahrain Fails To Secure Seat On Women's Rights Panel

Manama, Bahrain (AHN) - A human rights group is demanding that Bahrain authorities launch an investigation after it failed to secure a seat at the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) is seeking answers why a country such as Afghanistan, which has a poor record of women rights, managed to secure a seat, but Bahrain failed.

"There needs to be some explanation why we failed," said Faisal Fulad, BHRWS regional and international director.

The U.N. committee is comprised of 23 experts who monitor member countries for compliance with the treaty. The new members will fill the vacancies that expire in December and serve a four-year term beginning January 2009.

Some 19 nominees were in the fray for 11 upcoming vacancies. Balloting was conducted last week at the U.N. headquarters' in New York.

Bahraini Fadheela Al Mahroos was named by Bahrain as a candidate for the committee. She is chairperson of the child protection committee at the Ministry of Health. Bahrain required 91 votes for election, but only managed to secure 85 votes.

Members of the committee should be independent and of high moral standing and competence.

Fulad said that neither human rights groups or women's associations were aware that the government had selected Al Mahroos to contest for the election.

"No one knew that we actually had someone from our country contesting for the CEDAW committee. There was no briefing or awareness on the subject, which is surprising as government bodies went all out to promote their objectives when Bahrain was contesting for seat at the U.N. Human Rights Council," Fulad told AHN.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quoted in local media as saying that there was no secret process or dealing and everything was carried out in a transparent manner.

The CEDAW was ratified by the Bahrain government in 2002 but with reservations. Women advocates have lobbied for years with the authorities to lift the reservations, which were issues concerning family law, equality, freedom of movement, and residence.

The Bahrain government mentioned in its action plan for commitment to human rights that it would launch a national campaign to lift its reservations on CEDAW by this year.

Women's activist Dr. Wajeeha Al Baharna told AHN, "I don't see the authorities lifting these reservations on CEDAW and ratifying it in full. The government did not mention any time frame in the action plan it launched. Our concern is that the issue will remain unaddressed this year."

Maraim Rowaie, head of the Bahrain Women Union, has knocked on every door for a codified family law, but she says the issue remains unaddressed in the corridors of power.

"We have pressurised lawmakers in both the lower and upper house to lift reservations on CEDAW and implementation of family law, so that women are entitled to their rights. There is now international pressure on Bahrain to fulfill its commitments as it is elected to the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC)," she said.

Some 23 women's associations, 11 women's committees from religious and professional associations, one women's charity association, and one women's professional association have set up offices in this Arabian Gulf country. These organizations play a key role in educating women about their rights and effective participation of women in the development process.

As many as 215,000 Bahrainis voted in the first round of 2006 parliamentary and municipal elections. Only 5 percent, or 10,623 votes, were received by all the 17 female candidates who contested.