On March 29, CLDP led a panel on Women and the Law at Bahrain’s first Businesswomen Society’s International Entrepreneurship Conference. Panel members Judge Denise Cote (Southern District of New York), Tazeen Hassan (World Bank legal advisor), Dr. Jarmo Kotalaine (Bahrain Economic Development Board) and First Deputy Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Ali Al-Aradi, spoke about commercial laws that can empower women-led SMEs and how insolvency and SME laws can promote entrepreneurship in Bahrain. Other experts discussed commercial legal barriers that can hinder women’s economic development. While speaking on the panel, Mr. Al-Aradi announced a new draft SME law, which will be presented to the National Assembly and which would promote SME development and improve business registration procedures. (Yazd x9030, Al-Sarraf x9026)