▁' hon or ary ▁cabinet ▁minister '. ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Bah rain ▁was ▁elected ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁General ▁Assembly , ▁and ▁appointed ▁H aya ▁R ash id ▁Al ▁K hal ifa ▁as ▁the ▁Assembly ' s ▁President , ▁making ▁her ▁the ▁first ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁woman ▁and ▁the ▁third ▁woman ▁in ▁history ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁the ▁post . ▁She ik ha ▁H aya ▁is ▁a ▁leading ▁Bah ra ini ▁lawyer ▁and ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁advoc ate ▁who ▁will ▁take ▁over ▁the ▁post ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁change ▁for ▁the ▁world ▁body . ▁UN ▁Secretary ▁General ▁K of i ▁Ann an ▁said ▁of ▁her , ▁" I ▁met ▁her ▁yesterday ▁and ▁I ▁found ▁her ▁quite ▁impress ive . ▁All ▁the ▁member ▁states ▁are ▁determined ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁her ▁and ▁to ▁support ▁her , ▁and ▁I ▁think ▁she ' s ▁going ▁to ▁bring ▁a ▁new ▁dimension ▁to ▁the ▁work ▁here ." ▁ ▁Several ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁activ ists ▁have ▁become ▁political ▁personal ities ▁in ▁Bah rain ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁right , ▁or ▁even ▁gained ▁international ▁recognition , ▁such ▁as ▁Gh ada ▁J ams he er , ▁who ▁was ▁named ▁by ▁ ▁For bes ▁magazine ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁" ▁ten ▁most ▁powerful ▁and ▁effective ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁Arab ▁world " ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁Gh ada ▁J ams he er , ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁activ ist ▁in ▁Bah rain ▁has ▁called ▁the ▁government ' s ▁re forms