Case

I am Faiza Ebrahim Alzayani, a businesswoman now, was a director of Social
Affairs at the Ministry of Social Affairs (a department that I established)
Kingdom of Bahrain, for 31 years from 1972 until 2003.
I helped organizing social and care projects for Bahrain families, after
studying the condition of Bahraini women at poor rural areas of Bahrain; I
discovered that the majority of women both young and old were illiterate, so
we started education classes at the youth clubs and social centers in their
neighborhood with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education which
provided trained teachers.
We managed to educate about 10,000 girls, some of them joined ordinary
schools and pursued their education to the University level, and the majority
of them were referred to special classes where they were taught Tailoring
and Sewing.
We found that traditional products like Pottery and Textile weaving were
gradually disappearing, so we started (Productive Families project) which
helped poor families to resume these activities by providing them with
financial and expertise help, about 12,000 women benefitted from this
project.
Girls who joined tailoring classes, after 9 months of training worked in ready
made clothes factories.
Thirty eight thousand women who graduated from Productive Families
project could provide income for their families.
In order to continue community social work I selected about one hundred
local girls from the villages who wanted to volunteer to help their
communities and trained them in social services for one year after which
they became Local Leaders.
Twenty girls were trained for 5 years, there are about one hundred now,
working at local societies where they highlight the social problems at their
villages and help the ministry’s Social Workers in their field research.
I also cooperated with the Bahraini women societies helping them in their
volunteers training.
After I retired from the Ministry of Social Development, I started the
Contemporary woman Society in 2004, which strives to defend women
rights (equal opportunities in education, work and rights)
I also prepare guidance programs for needy groups in Manama.
I am also a founder member in Bahrain Business Women Society which was
established in the year 2000. I participate in the society’s activities and
conferences giving lectures if needed.
Now I have my own business (Zomoruda Fashion and Beauty) where 12
employees are providing service to women.
I was the first Bahraini woman to register for the Parliamentary election in
Bahrain in the year 2000, when women were given the right to become
members of the Parliament.