AWLI Member Contests Bahrain Local Council Elections

Sabah Al Dossary, a participant in AWLI’s July 2010 Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Local Government training, earned 2,178 votes in Bahrain’s Muharraq district. Ms. Al Dossary’s second place finish secured her a spot in the second round of voting. She is one of only two women to advance.

We will rewrite history

Gulf Daily News
By Sandeep Singh Grewal

October 26, 2010

Two Bahraini women, who have made history by reaching the second round of municipal council elections, are confident of rewriting the history books again on Saturday.  Both Fatima Salman and Sabah Al Dossary say they have every chance of becoming the country's first female municipal councillors - even though they are both going up against male opponents.

They were already close friends before they entered the poll fray on Saturday, in Muharraq. However, they have become even more united by their shared desire to break onto the council stage.

Ms Salman received the highest number of votes in Muharraq's Constituency two, which covers Busaiteen and parts of Muharraq, in the council election.
In fact, she outscored her opponent in the second round, independent Mohammed Abdulla Al Senan, by more than 200 votes.

Ms. Sabah Al Dossary participated in the 2010 AWLI training, Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Local Governments. “The results reflect that people are ready to accept women councilors in the country,” said Ms Salman. Both she and Ms Al Dossary contested the council election in 2006, but failed to make the breakthrough. The latter revealed the two independent candidates had made it through to the second round this time without any help from any women's organisations.

"Nobody or any association has come forward to help us," said Ms Al Dossary, whose brother Waheed Al Dossary failed in his bid for a parliament seat in Muharraq's Constituency four, covering Qalali.

"We planned our own campaigns and strategies without anyone's help. Financing the election campaign was a big challenge, but we managed to do well and cleared the first hurdle."

Ms Al Dossary secured 2,178 votes (28.02pc) in Muharraq's Constituency seven, which covers Arad, on Saturday. She came second in that constituency and will go up against Ali Yacoub Yousif Mohammed Al Muqla in the second round.

Mr Al Muqla, who is backed by the ultra-conservative Sunni Islamist group Al Asala, received the highest number of votes with 3,026. He has held the same council seat for the past eight years, but Ms Al Dossary remains confident and says her phone hasn't stopped ringing with messages of support.

"My phone has not stopped ringing since I filed my nomination until the end of the first round of election," she said. "My voters and supporters are sending text messages congratulating me for making it to the second round."

Ms Salman and Ms Al Dossary are now the only women in the second round of council elections. A third female candidate, Mohra Mohammed Abdulla Ghareeb, went out at the first hurdle despite securing 450 votes in the Northern Governorate's Constituency seven - which covers parts of Hamad Town.

Seventeen council seats across the country are still up for grabs in the second round of voting, with 34 candidates still in the running.

Bahraini women voted and stood in municipal council and parliament elections for the first time in 2002.