Second: Progress achieved in implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1 Violence against women 1.1 The NIHR appreciates the issuance of Law No. (17) of 2015 on Protection against Domestic Violence, as it constitutes a significant legal framework for the protection of the rights of the child and the family. The Law defines domestic violence as any act of abuse that occurs within the family setting by one of its members against another member, whether the act of abuse is physical, psychological, sexual, or economic. 1.2 The NIHR presumes that the rate of domestic violence cases against Bahraini women is low, according to the published official numbers and statistics.3However, it believes that due to the nature of the act of violence, the victim often does not publicly disclose it, for the purpose of maintaining the family as an entity and prevent its disintegration, in addition to other societal justifications or reasonings emanating from inappropriate customs and traditions. The NIHR expresses its concern about the continued increase and widespread cases of violence it has been monitoring through the media and social networks over the past years. 1.3 Recommendations: a. Boost up training programs for law enforcement agencies, including members of the judiciary, judicial officers, and forensic physicians, on the provisions of the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence, and the mechanism for handling these cases in a manner commensurate with their specific nature. b. Place importance on furthering the awareness of government and private educational institutions’ employees at all levels, on domestic violence issues and the mechanism to deal with this offence when it occurs and the guarantees established by law to protect the victims, in addition to training the youth on conversation and dialogue, easing tension and anger management skills. c. Provide a dedicated toll-free hotline for domestic violence issues, to be a safe and easy mechanism enabling abused women within the family, especially female heads of household, to report any act of violence that 3 For more information on rates of domestic violence against Bahraini women: The fourth periodic report of the Kingdom of Bahrain under Article (18) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Document No. (CEDAW/C/BHR/4), Paragraph No. (99). https://undocs.org/ar/CEDAW/C/BHR/4 7