Somaya Al Jowder

Al Jowder was born on January 1, 1960. She received her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Ain Shams University in December 1982, a Doctor of Medicine in Family Medicine from American University of Beirut in September 1987, a Diploma in Clinical Psychiatry in June 1991 and Diploma in Medical Administration in December 1998 from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, and a training certification from the Academy of Human Resource Development in December 2004.

She worked as a family medicine consultant and psychologist, from which she was promoted to Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Al-Naim Health Center in Manama, a post she held from March 1990 to May 2007. In 1999, she was appointed Director of the National Program to Combat Venereal Diseases and AIDS, followed by a post as Chair of the National Committee to Combat Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome starting in 2004.

In the 2011 Bahraini parliamentary by-elections, she won the first constituency in the Central Governorate with 1,725 votes for 51%, only 65 more votes than the runner-up, Al Wefaq candidate Osama Al Khaja. In the 2014 Bahraini general election, she lost the race for the tenth constituency in the Capital Governorate after winning 152 votes for 3.31% in the first round.