Bahrain election 2006 women candidates

Women candidates of the 2006 Bahrain election, which took place on the November 25, 2006 were reported to have received numerous threats from Islamic salafist and other factions to prevent them taking part. In all, eighteen female candidates of various political stances and views took part after recent changes to the political system in 2001 allowed women to not only become candidates, but also gave them the right to vote.

In March 1999 Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa came to power in Bahrain and national liberalisation quickly followed with the passing of the National Charter of Action in which many personal freedoms were clearly laid out. A referendum was held on February 14–15, 2001 through which the charter was approved. The legislation therein came into full force on February 14, 2002, the year after the women of Bahrain were given the right to vote and stand for office. In a report in early 2001 it was noted that there were only four female majlis, and none before this time. The majority of women who worked for the state still did so only in a supporting capacity. In 2002 when women went to the polls for the first time, no women candidates succeeded in being elected despite 10% of approximately 300 candidates being women, although one woman, Lateefa Al Gaood, lost in a run off to salafist candidate, Jassim Al Saeedi.

Women candidates complained that they were at a disadvantage because none of the popular Islamist parties have backed their candidacies, they cannot campaign in mosques, and social perceptions hinder them still.

In Bahrain, political parties are illegal and only allowed to be known as political associations. Despite this these political associations have regular powers to put forward candidates for election and act as a parliamentary bloc. The law makes clear that financial resources of political associations should come from membership fees and contributions and from revenues of their investments in the Kingdom as defined by their internal regulations. A political society is under no circumstances allowed to accept any contribution, advantage or benefit from any foreigner or any foreign entity or international organisation. Women candidates therefore relied on financial support from sources such as the women's rights body, the Supreme Council for Women, which has also provided training to candidates.

...
Wikipedia