Membership
The American Women’s Association is open to all nationalities, which is a main advantage of joining as you will become a part of a large network of women in Bahrain many from different backgrounds and perspectives. Another advantage of joining is that you have access to great gatherings, big and small. We have many activities that might fetch your interest, such as the Art Group, Crafts, Book Club, Women of Taste, On Island Tours (which also sometimes do Off Island Tours!), Dinner Group, Lunch Bunch, etc. and we also host monthly meetings at the Golden Tulip and monthly coffee mornings where everyone catches up with each other. But more than this, AWA is a great way to give back to the Community. Our fundraisers, including our annual Cherry Tree Trot have raised more than 50,000BD for charity which we spend throughout the year on various charities. Learn more about how to join AWA.
Membership Groups
Our membership is divided up into different groups, which are required to be a certain percentage according to our By Laws and Constitution as approved by the Ministry of Social Welfare.
We have three membership groups:
1. Active members composed of:
a.) Women who are U.S. citizens or the wives of U.S. citizens.
b.) Any woman who is a citizen of Bahrain.
c.) Women of other nationalities.
2. The second group includes the wife of the U.S. Ambassador who is granted
- Honorary Membership. She will neither have the right to vote nor be nominated for office and will not pay membership dues.
3. The third group is comprised of a Wait List membership. Women who come under the group Active Member category c., will have their names placed on a wait list if no vacancy exists. They may not vote but are encouraged to participate in the activities of the Club.
Active membership shall not be less than 51% of categories a and b and members of category c shall not be more than 49%. (March 9, 1992)
A woman who is not a U.S. citizen or the wife of a U.S. citizen and who desires membership in the AWA and for whom there is no vacancy for Active Membership may be a Wait List Member by completing the application and by paying the membership fee as specified in the Standing Rules. If, during the twelve months she can be transferred from the Wait List group to Active Membership, her name will be put forth by the Membership Secretary to the Executive Board for approval to be upgraded to active membership and she shall be duly notified of the Board’s action.
The Wait List membership shall not vote. She shall be entitled to the same benefits as an Active member with the exception of the right to vote.
(See By-Law 2) Article 12