Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Bahrain (Ratification: 2000)

Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention. Discrimination on the basis of religious grounds. The Committee notes that the Government indicates that: (1) it has taken numerous steps and initiatives to promote societal respect and tolerance among all religious groups and raise awareness of existing legislation and available mechanisms to protect workers against discrimination, including the National Plan to Promote the Spirit of Belonging to the Nation and Reinforce the Values of Citizenship, which encompasses actions aimed at promoting respect for religious diversity; (2) Curricula for all levels, from elementary to university, include educational materials that explain and illustrate the principles advocated by the United Nations in relation to human rights and the rejection of discrimination and intolerance; (3) statistical data on the labour market do not contain information on religious affiliation; and (4) all the steps taken also serve the purpose, among others, of enabling any individual subjected to any type of discrimination to access available redress mechanisms. The Committee notes this information. The Committee requests the Government to provide specific information on the measures adopted or envisaged to promote respect and tolerance for religious minorities and to address discrimination and stereotypical attitudes in employment and occupation. Such measures may include nationwide awareness campaigns, training for public sector personnel, codes of good practice for employers, targeted training modules, and systems for monitoring and collecting anonymized data. The Committee also asks the Government to report on any complaints of religious discrimination in training, education, employment, or occupation brought before the competent authorities, along with their outcomes.

Article 2. National equality policy with a view to eliminating discrimination based on race, colour, religion, political opinion, national extraction and social origin. The Government affirms that all steps and initiatives it has taken to combat discrimination in the workplace reflect a national policy and concerted efforts to protect the workforce. The Committee encourages the Government to assess, in collaboration with the social partners, the current national equality policy and identify any steps needed to strengthen it, including as regards its scope (for example, grounds of discrimination and aspects of employment and occupation covered) and consistency with the Convention.

Article 3(a). Cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Government reiterates that the cooperation with the social partners is achieved through bilateral and trilateral meetings with the Ministry of Labour. In addition, social partners participate in the board of directors of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority. While noting this information, the Committee requests the Government to provide examples of cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations in promoting specifically the acceptance and observance of the national policy on equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation.

Article 5. Special measures of protection for women. The Committee recalls that Decrees Nos 50 and 51 of 2021 do not provide for any protection to ensure that pregnant or breastfeeding women are not obliged to perform work which has been determined by the competent authority to be prejudicial to the health of the mother or the child, or where an assessment has established a significant risk to the mother’s health or that of the child. The Committee notes that the Government refers to Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2019, which sets standards for the protection of pregnant or breastfeeding women at the workplace. The Decision does not place any restrictions on women’s work but rather requires employers to protect them from certain risks that could adversely affect their health or that of the unborn child or infant. The Government also indicates that, upon presentation of a certified medical report, a woman has the right to transfer to another job during pregnancy if the occupational situation is found to be dangerous to her or to her unborn child. The Committee requests the Government to provide more detailed information on the requirements placed upon employers under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2019.

Enforcement. The Government informs that: (1) the labour inspectors did not detect any violations involving discrimination in employment during the reporting period; (2) the Labour Complain Division Unit investigated 11 complaints related to discrimination in employment, finding no evidence of discrimination in seven cases. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information onthe number of complaints received by the Labour Complain Division Unit, as well as the on the number of discrimination cases detected by the labour inspectorate or brought to its attention, and their outcome, indicating the type of discrimination alleged.