Sheikha Sabeika to women candidates: get involved to shape the future

Sheikha Sabeika Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the wife of the King of Bahrain, on Tuesday called on the women of Bahrain to show their independence by participating in the legislative elections which will be held on October 24 in which 8 out of 190 candidates are women.

The statement of Sheikha Sabeika, who presides over the Woman's Higher Council in the country, came in an open dialogue which was the first of its kind with the female students of Bahrain university in which they 8 women candidates took place.

Sheikha Sabeika said the march of reforms cannot be dealt with in a negative mentality and must not be ignored, but met with a positive attitude. She said "the responsibility of citizenship" is now being tested, stressing that the "future does not bear hesitation."

In an initiative to support women candidates for the parliament, Sheikha Sabeika invited each of the woman's candidate to the forum to persent to the female students the main points of their election programs. Hundreds of women activists attended the meeting.

The Bahraini woman received her political rights for the first time, especially her right to vote and to be a candidate for elections with the issuance of the national document in 2001.