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Bush hails Bahrain businesswoman

A female Bahraini entrepreneur has been named by President George W. Bush as "an inspiring example for the whole region."

  • By Habib Toumi, Correspondent
  • Published: 00:15 May 21, 2008
  • Gulf News

Manama: A female Bahraini entrepreneur has been named by President George W. Bush as "an inspiring example for the whole region."

Addressing the World Economic Forum in Sharm Al Shaikh, Bush said that "building powerful econ-omies requires expanding the role of women in society" and that "no nation that cuts off half its population from opportunities will be as productive or prosperous as it could be."

To give weight to his statement, he said that "Egypt has an excellent record of empowering women and has emerged as a model for the development of professional women".

But his single praise was for Huda Janahi.

"Recently, I learned of a woman in Bahrain who owns her own shipping company. She started with a small office with two employees. When she first tried to register her business in her own name, she was turned down. She attended a business training class and was the only woman to participate. And when she applied for a customs licence, officials expressed surprise because no woman had ever asked for one before.

"Yet with hard work and determination, she turned her small company into a $2 million enterprise. And this year, Huda Janahi was named one of the 50 most powerful businesswomen in the Arab world," he said.

"Huda is an inspiring example for the whole region. And America's message to other women in the Middle East is this: You have a great deal to contribute, you should have a strong voice in leading your countries," he said.

In a press statement, Huda said that she was delighted by the unexpected praise, stressing that it was a recognition of women's achievements in Bahrain.

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