Acknowledgements

Uncertain is the journey of life where improbilities happen with remarkable regularity. One such unexpected event in my life brought me to the Kingdom of Bahrain a decade back. The time that has transpired since bears ample testimony to the warmth and welcoming inhabitants of this “island of pearls”, who embraced me like one of their own. Even in my nomadic existence, Bahrain always remained an “oasis”, a place to be back, to recharge and rejuvenate. This place has not only given me a “second home”, but it has also given my two kids a secured and joyous childhood, a place they relate to and call it their home. I am acutely aware that it is beyond my capacity to pay the debt back. My contribution in the book, a joint work that builds upon Lamya’s noteworthy doctoral contribution, is a small effort to offer the citizens a meaningful way to look at the parliamentary discourse that significantly contributes to public policy and in shaping the destiny of this young nation. I take this opportunity to thank the Centre for Gender Studies, Uppsala University and the Centre for African Studies (CAS), University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa for the support extended to my research efforts.