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Workshops for women married to foreigners planned

MANAMA — A series of workshops will be held to help 450 Bahraini women married to foreigners in coping with difficulties they face for having non-Bahraini husbands and children.

Organised by the Bahrain Women Society, the move is part of a nationality campaign being supervised by the Bahrain Women’s Union.

The campaign has been striving for the past five years to get nationality law amended to allow Bahraini women to pass on their nationality to their children like Bahraini men.

The campaign received a boost last year with the endorsement of a law under which children of Bahraini mothers and foreign fathers are treated as local viz a viz government fees.

The law enables such children to renew their resident permits and get education and health services free.

“The fight for amendment to the nationality law will continue, but for the time being these women will be provided with necessaary psychological assistance and guidance through our workshops,” Vice-President of the Society Dr Wajeeha Al Baharna told the press on Sunday.

She said a meeting was held recently with representatives from various women’s societies to provide help in holding such workshops.

These females would be provide with necessary training to improve their communication skills and make them self-confident.

“We are also planning to provide children of these women with necessary assistance, as many of them feel neglected in the only country they know as home,” she explained.

Dr Al Baharna revealed that only 450 women have been registered with the campaign, but the number of women affected by the law is thought to much higher, but these women do not want to register or come forward as they feel there is no hope for them.

shamada@khaleejtimes.com.