Bahrain Women Union Holds First Family Cohesion Committee Meeting on Psychosocial Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence

The Family Cohesion Committee of the Bahrain Women Union held its first meeting to discuss the project entitled “Psychosocial Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence” on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, at the premises of the Bahrain Women’s Association for Human Development (Nehdat Fatat Bahrain). The meeting was attended by Dr. Sumaya Al Jowder, President of the Bahrain Women Union, along with a number of presidents and members of women’s associations, as well as representatives of several relevant and specialized organizations.

The meeting was chaired by Dr. Anisa Fakhro, Chairperson of the Family Cohesion Committee, who welcomed the attendees and emphasized that the project aims to strengthen cooperation and coordination among the relevant entities. Its purpose is to guide individuals affected by domestic violence to specialized organizations that provide appropriate services, thereby supporting members of Bahraini families, including women, children, and men.

Ms. Jawaher Al Ruwaie, Project Manager, delivered a comprehensive presentation outlining the network’s objectives, operational mechanisms, services, and needs, in addition to the proposed partnership models. These include strategic partnerships, supporting partnerships, information-providing entities, and proposed partners. She emphasized that the network’s primary role is to coordinate, provide guidance, and refer cases to the relevant specialized entities, ensuring that efforts are integrated and responsibilities do not overlap.

The meeting featured extensive discussions and contributions from attendees on various topics, including case intake procedures, raising public awareness of the network, measuring its outcomes, expanding the partnership base, and cooperating with professional institutions. Participants also highlighted the importance of organizing field visits to participating entities to gain a better understanding of the services they provide to Bahraini families.

Dr. Sumaya Al Jowder stressed the importance of conducting field visits to the relevant entities to enhance the network team’s understanding of available services and how to access them. Dr. Anisa Fakhro noted that the Union would build on its previous experience in this field while further developing it into a more comprehensive coordination model in collaboration with the various relevant entities.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Anisa Fakhro expressed her appreciation to all participating entities and to the presidents and members of the women’s associations for their attendance and active engagement. She also expressed the Union’s hope for broader participation by relevant entities in future meetings and extended her thanks to the Bahrain Women’s Association for Human Development (Nehdat Fatat Bahrain) for hosting the meeting.