Internal Regulations for Organizing the Work of the Bahraini Women's Union
Article 1 - General Provisions
The purpose of issuing these regulations is to complement the basic system in organizing the administration of the Union's affairs and providing the necessary details stipulated in some articles of the basic system.
A series of amendments to the previous internal regulations of the Union were approved at the General Assembly meeting on October 22, 2016. Based on this approval, the Board of Directors of the Bahraini Women's Union was granted the right to make the necessary amendments. The Board approved these amendments at its session on January 2, 2021, adding certain clauses to the regulations based on feedback from 2017. They were subsequently ratified following approval by the members of the General Assembly.
In case of any conflict between the provisions of the internal regulations and the basic system of the Union, the provisions of the basic system shall prevail.
No changes may be made to the texts of the internal regulations without the approval of the General Assembly of the Union.
In these regulations, unless the context requires otherwise:
The Union refers to the Bahraini Women's Union.
The Board of Directors refers to the Board of Directors of the Union.
Board Members refer to the members elected at the General Assembly meeting of the Union.
The General Assembly of the Union refers to the total representatives of ten members from each women's association that is a member of the Union, selected or elected by their associations to represent them at the conference held by the Union at the end of the election cycle and at any ordinary or extraordinary meeting called for by the Board of Directors of the Union.
Member Associations refer to women's associations that are members of the Union listed in Article (2) of the basic system of the Union, as well as any women's association that joins the Union in the future.
The basic system refers to the basic system of the Union, declared under Decision No. (29) of 2006 issued by the Ministry of Social Development, published in Official Gazette No. (2750) of the Kingdom of Bahrain issued on August 2, 2006. The system includes any amendments or additions adopted in the future by the General Assembly.
Committees refer to the specialized committees of the Union formed by the Board of Directors.
Internal Regulations refer to the internal regulations for organizing the Union's affairs.
Relative Majority means half of the attendees plus one.
Absolute Majority means half of the total number of members, whether present or absent, plus one.
Conference Office is an office whose members are elected from within the conference held at the end of the election cycle for the Board of Directors of the Union. It consists of a President, First Secretary, and Second Secretary; its task is centered on supervising and organizing the debate process and overseeing the election process of a new Board of Directors for the Union, preparing a report thereof to be handed over to the elected President of the Board.
Article 2 - Board of Directors
Decisions at Board of Directors meetings are taken by an absolute majority as stipulated in the basic system. Any member may dissent from a decision and record it in the official minutes, but she must abide by the majority decision and act accordingly.
A Board member must maintain confidentiality of decisions even if she disagrees with them, and refrain from disclosing any information related to the Union's affairs unless specifically authorized by the Board of Directors.
A Board member must not show bias towards any association to which she belongs and must avoid anything that may create division within the Board.
After the election of a new Board of Directors for the Union, former Board members must be invited to the first meeting to hand over all Union files or related documents, which should be recorded in the meeting minutes and signed by both parties. No former Board member has the right to retain any file or document related to the Union.
The Board of Directors may establish an advisory committee in legal or other relevant fields closely related to the Union's mandates (Article 2 of Article 41 of the basic system), and may select some committee members from outside the Union, whether male or female. The Board of Directors may also consult with the presidents of the affiliated associations under its umbrella on any matter brought before it.
In case of a tie in votes within the Board of Directors when voting for or against a motion, the President's vote shall prevail. The names of those who approve, oppose, or abstain from the decision shall be recorded in the minutes.
The Board of Directors of the Union, with a majority vote, may request membership in regional or international organizations or federations whose objectives align with those of the Union and its aspirations.
Article 3 - Union Correspondence
All correspondence issued by the Union within the country or abroad, or by committees, must bear the signature of the President of the Union or her deputy and the Union's stamp. No electronic messages may be sent in the name of the Union without the knowledge of the President, her deputy, or the Secretary.
No member association of the Union may correspond with any entity inside or outside Bahrain in the name of the Union.
The Union's Secretary shall receive incoming correspondence, register and number it, and promptly deliver it to the President and the Secretary.
Copies of outgoing and incoming electronic correspondence of the Union must be kept in a special register, with the Secretary's signature, and electronic data of the Union must be preserved securely with multiple backups.
Electronic messages may be temporarily sent to the Union's email or any other email specified by the Board of Directors, with the knowledge of the Secretary.
The Board of Directors is not responsible for any correspondence conducted by members, committee chairs, or others unless the aforementioned conditions are met. All Union files shall be stored in another location. (Back up)
Article 4 - Media Responsibility
The President of the Union and the member responsible for media affairs may exclusively disclose decisions of the Board of Directors or its work plans and programs to the media.
The Board of Directors may appoint one of its members to speak on behalf of the Union in various media programs that address any general issue or specific occasion, such as International Women's Day, for example.
The chairperson of a committee and its members may speak to the media about the committee's activities in general or during specific events, with the knowledge of the Union's President.
Article 5 - Member Associations in the Union
Decisions issued by the Board of Directors of the Union must be respected by member associations.
Member associations must work to strengthen the Union and avoid actions that could weaken it.
The objectives of each member association of the Union must align with the objectives of the Union as stated in its basic system.
The Board of Directors of the Union must establish means of communication with member associations, whether through printed or electronic correspondence, social media, email, visits, or holding regular meetings with the presidents of the associations.
The Board of Directors may invite the presidents of member associations to an emergency meeting as required.
Each member association of the Union may invite the President of the Union to attend its General Assembly meeting, and the President of the Union or her delegate appointed by the Board of Directors may participate in this meeting.
Upon receiving any invitation or message in the name of the Union, the member association must deliver it to the Board of Directors, and it is not allowed to respond to it or accept the invitation in the name of the Union.
No member association of the Union may correspond with any entity inside or outside Bahrain in the name of the Union unless authorized by the Board of Directors of the Union.
Each member association of the Union has the right to propose suggestions to the Board of Directors or coordinate with it to organize a program or more in collaboration with the Union.
It is the duty of member associations to express their opinion on matters requested by the Board of Directors of the Union.
The Board of Directors of a member association of the Union may submit a written request and send it to the President of the Union to hold a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Union. In this case, the Board of Directors of the Union may attend the meeting with all its members or some of them, and the members of the Board of Directors of the association may not continue to attend the meeting after discussing the purpose for which they attended in order to follow up on the proceedings of the conference.
Article 6 Board Meetings and Member Responsibilities
- The Federation's Board of Directors holds regular meetings at a rate of one meeting per month, and extraordinary meetings may be held in urgent or necessary cases.
- A Board member is committed to attending Board meetings, fulfilling responsibilities, and activating committees.
- In case a Board member is absent from attending meetings, the following actions are taken:
- If the member is absent from three consecutive or five separate meetings without excuse, her constituency is informed by an official letter signed by the Federation's President.
- If the member continues to be absent after notification, totaling five consecutive or seven separate meetings, her membership is automatically terminated. She and her constituency are notified by an official letter signed by the Federation's President.
- In the event of resignation from the Board membership, an official letter must be submitted through the member's representing association, informed of her circumstances. The resignation must be officially discussed by the Board to understand the reasons for resignation, evaluate the situation, grant a two-week period for reconsideration and withdrawal of resignation if desired. If resignation is not withdrawn within the specified period, it is automatically accepted, and her constituency is informed by an official letter detailing all developments and actions taken.
- In the event of the Chairperson's absence for any reason or excuse, the Vice Chairperson replaces her and carries out all duties performed by the Chairperson.
- The Secretary-General is responsible for coordinating the preparation of outgoing correspondence with the Union's secretary, preparing minutes of Board meetings, reviewing them, and writing the literary report of the Union for presentation at the General Assembly meeting.
Article 7 Committees
- At the beginning of the election cycle, the Board of Directors sends a letter to member associations inviting their ten representatives to join active committees of the Federation.
- The Federation's Board of Directors may establish temporary committees tasked with specific missions determined and monitored by the Board, concluding upon completion of the task for which they were formed. These committees may include individuals from non-female associations of both genders.
- The number of members for each committee should not exceed 7 members.
- Board members may join one or more working committees, and may also serve as committee chairs.
- The committee elects a Vice Chairperson and Secretary-General from among its members in its first meeting.
- Committees are directly responsible to the Board of Directors.
- Committees meet at least once a month to monitor and implement their plans.
- A committee meeting is considered legal with the absolute majority of its members present.
- Committee decisions are valid by simple majority.
- The Federation's President or a designated Board member may attend committee meetings and review its minutes whenever necessary.
- Committees meet at the Federation's headquarters. If not possible, the committee chairperson may agree with its members to determine another location, or committees may meet virtually.
- Committees maintain a record of their minutes and activities at the Federation's headquarters, either in written or electronic form.
- Committees prepare their action plans and present them to the Board of Directors for approval in light of the Federation's strategic plan, ensuring the implementation of tasks assigned by the Board and incorporating these plans into the Federation's general plan.
- Any working committee may seek the assistance of a qualified and experienced individual for consultation on any matter, either by meeting directly, by phone, or through messages.
- Two or more committees of the Federation may hold joint meetings for coordination and cooperation between them.
- Each committee, after its formation, is committed to preparing a long-term action plan for implementation during the election cycle, after presenting it to the Board of Directors.
- In case a committee member is absent from attending meetings, the following actions are taken:
- If the member is absent from three consecutive meetings or five separate meetings without excuse, an official letter is directed to her, signed by the Federation's President, inquiring about her willingness to continue on the committee with a commitment to attend meetings.
- If the member does not respond to the letter and continues to be absent, totaling five consecutive or seven separate meetings, her membership in the committee is automatically revoked. She and her constituency are notified in writing.
Article 8 General Assembly Meeting
- Each member association under the Federation appoints ten members to represent it in the Federation's General Assembly, three months before the end of the election cycle.
- The Federation's President or her substitute opens the regular General Assembly meeting held after the end of the election cycle and calls for the formation of a bureau to manage the meeting. The President also manages any other meeting, whether regular or extraordinary, held during the election cycle.
- The agenda is approved by a relative majority of the attending members by raising hands. Subsequently, the items on the agenda are discussed and approved in sequence unless otherwise decided by a majority of the attending General Assembly.
- Voting on decisions, except for the election of Board members, is done by raising hands unless otherwise decided by the General Assembly.
- If no candidates apply for Board membership more than the required number, they win by acclamation.
- If more candidates apply for Board membership than required, elections are conducted by secret ballot.
Article 9 Nomination for Board Membership
- The Board of Directors formally notifies member associations of the Federation about opening the nomination for Board membership at least two months before the end of the Board's term. The nomination remains open until two weeks before the election date, during which nominations are not allowed after this date or during General Assembly sessions.
- The General Assembly officially informs the Board of Directors of the nominee's name for the new Board, and it is not permissible for any member to nominate except through her association.
- Those nominated by the association for Board membership must have been a member of the association for a period of no less than two years, recognized for her activity, commitment, and effectiveness, with administrative experience in women's or family work, and must be among the ten representatives of her association.
- After closing the nomination period, the Secretary-General informs member associations in writing of the names of the nominees and the associations to which they belong.
- The General Assembly has the right to substitute its nominee with another within a period of no less than two weeks before the election date, by formally writing to the Board of Directors, who in turn officially informs the member associations of this.
- Each member association of the Federation has the right to nominate a maximum of two members for the Federation's Board of Directors.
Article 10 Elections of the Union's Board of Directors
- The Board of Directors shall invite the relevant ministry to appoint one of its employees to oversee the regular meeting where the election of a new Board of Directors for the Union will be conducted, at least two weeks before the meeting.
- The absence of a representative from the ministry does not affect the validity of the elections.
- The President of the Union shall invite the General Assembly at the beginning of the meeting to nominate members of a bureau to oversee the conduct, discussions, and monitoring of the election of the new Board of Directors.
- The bureau shall consist of three members, provided that none of them are members of the outgoing Board of Directors or candidates for the new Board. The election of the bureau begins with the election of a chairperson, followed by a first secretary and a second secretary. The bureau's duties end upon the conclusion of the elections, the counting of votes, signing the meeting minutes, and handing them over to the new Board of Directors.
- The Board of Directors may invite any association not a member of the Union that it deems competent to supervise the elections.
- In the case of secret ballot for the election of the Union's Board of Directors, any ballot paper containing more candidates than required or that has been altered and rewritten is excluded to ensure the credibility of the results.
- Verification of the identity of candidates is done through an official document such as the national ID card or passport.
Article 11 Membership in International Organizations
- Clause 1 The Union has the right to join regional and international organizations according to the following criteria:
- The objectives of the organization align with the Union's objectives.
- The organization supports issues endorsed by the Union and contributes to their global dissemination.
- It is not prohibited for organizations to join.
- Membership in the organization adds moral value and strength to the Union.
- The organization is active and effective in social work and advocates for women's rights at regional and international levels.
- The organization adopts qualitative issues that have a positive impact on the local community.
- Membership fees in the organization are not exorbitant and burdensome to the Union's budget.
- Clause 2 Upon joining any regional or international organization, the Union commits to the following:
- Payment of membership fees determined by the organization.
- Ethical and moral commitment to the organization's statements, communications, and resolutions that do not contradict the values and objectives of the Union or the laws of the country.
- Responding to invitations addressed to the Union to the best of its ability.
- Providing the organization with all updates related to the files endorsed by the Union.
- Solidarity with the organization's issues that do not contradict the Union's objectives, values, or the laws of the country.
- Disseminating the organization's news across the Union's database.
Article 12 Representation in Domestic and International Events
- Clause 1 To organize work and achieve optimal results, the following organization and mechanism are followed upon receipt of invitations by the Union:
- The Union's secretary receives the invitation and delivers it to the President of the Union or her delegate.
- The President presents the invitation to the Board of Directors' group on WhatsApp for review and suggests the appropriate member to represent the Union, whether from the Board of Directors or one of the working committees in the Union.
- Clause 2 External invitations are directed as follows depending on the type of invitation:
- Invitations related to meetings where decisions are made must be represented by the President or her delegate.
- Invitations to participate and attend conferences, exhibitions, symposiums, or seminars are represented by members of the specialized committees working in the same field, women's associations, or individuals with expertise collaborating with the Union from outside women's associations.
- Invitations to participate in training courses or workshops must be directed to the relevant committees and members of the Union's Board of Directors.
- Clause 3 Criteria to be met by those nominated for external representation:
- If the nominee is a member of the Union's Board of Directors or committees, she must:
- Be an active and engaged member of the Board of Directors or the relevant committee in the field.
- Possess proficiency in the language used at the event (English or Arabic).
- Be capable of making decisions (in anticipation of any developments at the event).
- If the nominee collaborates with the Union:
- Should voluntarily and continuously work with the Union on some files.
Things that the candidate must adhere to before, during, and after attending the participation:
Preparation, preparation and good reading before joining the participation.
Commitment to attend throughout the period of participation to which you are invited.
Its participation should be of qualitative addition to the calling body and the Union.
After returning, they must submit a detailed report to the Federation regarding the event.
To convey and share the experience of her presence to the Federation and its Assembly by preparing a summary of what has been put forward,
And how can the Union benefit from that participation?
Work on marketing the Federation and introduce its role during participation; and provide the Federation with a list of attendees to be completed
Adding it to the ITU data base to achieve more networking at the local, regional and international levels.
External bodies should be contacted directly by the President of the Union
