Saint Petersburg : Dr. Jehad Abdullah Al Fadhel, the Second Deputy Chair of the Shura Council, called for the establishment of a permanent Women’s Dialogue Forum between the Russian Federation and the Arab world during her participation in the Fourth Euro-Asian Women’s Parliamentary Forum held in Saint Petersburg from September 18-20. The forum aims to provide a platform for women from different countries to exchange experiences and discuss common issues such as economic empowerment, education, and health.
Additionally, Al Fadhel proposed creating a fund for agricultural and environmental innovation to unify efforts among government, parliamentary, private, and academic institutions. This fund would finance and support innovative projects that enhance food security while maintaining environmental sustainability, including funding research centres to develop eco-friendly agricultural technologies. She also called for the use of artificial intelligence and big data to improve the efficiency of natural resource use, as well as providing incentives and support for startups and innovators offering sustainable agricultural solutions, thereby enhancing economic diversification and creating promising job opportunities in sustainable agriculture.
The second deputy emphasised the importance of boosting academic and cultural cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Arab world by launching study and training exchange programmes for women in various domains to enhance mutual understanding and develop leadership skills. She noted the need to promote peaceful coexistence and interfaith dialogue by supporting initiatives that foster dialogue among women from different religious and cultural backgrounds, contributing to more tolerant societies.
She highlighted Bahrain’s significant achievements in empowering Bahraini women across all levels, driven by the efforts of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa. She noted Bahrain’s notable successes in political participation and enhancing women’s roles in decision-making, as well as its support for women’s issues at both regional and international levels.
Dr. Al Fadhel also highlighted the historical friendship and growing bilateral cooperation between Bahrain and the Russian Federation, praising the development of their relations into a high-level strategic partnership, as well as the special ties between Arab countries and Russia.
In the session titled “Women’s Contributions to a Clean Planet and Food Security,” Dr. Al-Fadhil discussed how to maintain a balance between food security and environmental safety. She stressed that achieving this balance requires a comprehensive approach to protect the environment and natural resources, noting that Bahrain has taken early steps to secure its food needs while preserving the environment, guided by the leadership of His Majesty the King.
She explained that Bahrain continues to adopt strategic projects for national food production by expanding self-sufficiency through designated areas for plant and animal production, as well as focusing on fishery resources and increasing aquaculture projects to boost local production levels.
