Difficult battle faces Bahraini women candidates for municipal elections

The citizens of Bahrain head tomorrow to the voting ballots to choose members of five municipal councils in elections, both the ruling authority and the opposition, alike want to provide a success, in preparations for the legislative elections which will be organized in October to reactivate the parliament which was dissolved 27 years ago.

The official at the Islamic National Reconciliation Society Ibrahim Hassan said "we are for the success of the experience of the municipal elections despite our reservations to the distribution of circles and the limited authorities given to the municipal council." However, the Islamic national reconciliation society is considered one of the most important seven political societies which were formed with the absence of the banned political parties laws in Bahrain.

Some 31 women among 307 candidates are launching the first municipal election bids in Bahrian since half a century. This figure seems to be big, but women active and lawyer candidates for these elections consider that the battle of women in the election will be difficult.

In a statement to the press, candidate Siba Asfour who launched an election campaign for the fifth circle of the northern province said that her battle "is difficult despite the respect shown by the voters" to her and her election program.

She commented that still "certain people see women as less efficient than men and the others consider women to be of lower status and refuse to meet with women candidates for 'jurisprudence' reasons." She said that "whatsoever, women are in need of breaking this barrier."