Sabika leaves for Brunei visit

Sheikha Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty the King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Women, left Bahrain yesterday on a high-profile official visit to Brunei.

Accompanied by a 10-member delegation, including many women's rights advocates, Sheikha Sabika will make a similar visit to China next week.

"Our focus during the visits will be on promoting the new image of Bahraini women, particularly in view of the forthcoming developments which will witness the establishment of parliamentary life and a greater participation by the people who will have, both men and women, the right to take part in the decision making process," she said in a statement earlier, a copy of which was sent to Gulf News.

During her visits, she will look into the nature of women's work and discuss means of cooperation between the council and women's institutions in the two countries.

She will also visit Egypt at the head of a Bahraini delegation to the international meeting, entitled 'Women for Peace', to be held in Sharm El Sheikh, from September 21 to 23, under the patronage of Suzanne Mubarak, wife of the Egyptian president.

The meeting is a non-government initiative launched by Suzanne Mubarak to establish a new outlook on women's contributions to achieve world peace.

Taking part in the meeting will be high-level delegations representing the Arab and the foreign countries, the UN and the NGOs.