With the participation of “AGFUND” and UNDP” AWS Golden Jubilee Webinar Hosts Over 140 Regional Delegates

Manama, March 25, 2020: The Awal Women Society (AWS) celebrated its 50th anniversary today by hosting a Webinar – or virtual forum – bringing together women leaders from across the local and regional spectrum. More than 140 regional delegates and representatives of international civil society institutions, women’s groups and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) also participated in the landmark online event, which was sponsored by FinMark Communications and EMIC Training.

Necessitated by the global COVID-19 pandemic, while the AWS virtual forum falls in line with national efforts mandated by the Government of Bahrain’s National Campaign to Combat Coronavirus (COVID-19), it also highlights the leading role played by AWS in focusing on empowering women in the IT sector and using technology to further the cause of women’s rights.

The keynote speakers at the AWS virtual forum included Nasser Al Qahtani, Executive Director at The Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND); Jehan Almurbati, UNDP representative; Abeer Daham, Head of Women Support Center at the Supreme Council of Women; Yasmeen Al Sharaf, Head of FinTech and Innovation Unit at the Central Bank of Bahrain; Nasra Alnajjar, AWS Chairperson; Abdul Rahman Sindi, General Manager, IT, Transworld; Ahmed Alhujairi, CEO, Gulf Future Business; Dr. Naeema Al-Gasseer, W.H.O. Representative in Sudan; and Zahraa Taher, Managing Director, Finmark Communications.

Highlighting the role played by AWS over the years in training women to use IT in their daily lives, AWS Chairperson Mrs. Nasra Alnajjar said: “Choosing a Webinar to commemorate our Golden Jubilee coincides with the current circumstances the Kingdom is facing due to the spread of the Coronavirus. AWS is proud to be one of the top NGOs and women’s societies to have adopted leading technologies in its initiatives and activities. Thanks to Team Bahrain’s great endeavours and loyal efforts, we are confident that the threat from this pandemic will recede soon. Our 50th anniversary virtual forum focuses on empowering women in a high-tech environment which is the barometer for success in any society nowadays.”

Nasser Al Qahtani, Executive Director, AGFUND, added: “This unprecedented virtual forum showcased the role played by AWS over the past five decades and its great contributions in building sustainable partnerships which are paving the way for achieving the sustainable development goals outlined in the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 program. AGFUND was one of the leading donors that recognized the significant role played by civil society entities such as AWS in Bahrain to empower women and serve our societies with the best developmental practices. Our long partnership with AWS consists of many projects that helped many Bahraini women to become successful entrepreneurs.”

Dr. Naeema Al-Gasseer, the W.H.O, Representative in Sudan, congratulated AWS on its Golden Jubilee and pointed out that it is considered the leading women’s society in Bahrain since it was established in the early 1970s. “AWS has set up many innovative initiatives supporting women in various sectors, especially when it comes to technology empowerment and harnessing IT to train women and arm them with the best skills needed in their daily lives,” she said.

She added: “[The] ‘Women and Technology’ theme concides with SDG No. 9 ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure,’ and SDG No. 3 ‘Good Health and Well-Being’ for the sake of creating a safe and healthy society. This AWS virtual forum also dovetails with the national effort to combat the Coronavirus – speaking of which, we would like to convey our sincere gratitude to medical and nursing professionals who are at the frontlines of the battle to contain this outbreak.”