As part of the rapidly urbanizing landscape in Bahrain, traffic congestion is becoming a significant concern, partly due to fragmented mobility planning and influenced by urban policies that overlook gender needs. Despite the successful integration of data and analytics into smart city initiatives, addressing efficiency and sustainability, limited attention was given to women's mobility needs within these frameworks. This systematic review investigates the potential of integrating smart city strategies with inclusive planning principles to enhance women’s access, safety and participation in the urban context. Drawing on the PRISMA methodology, this review identifies peer-reviewed literature published between 2012 and 2024 in Scopus and ScienceDirect databases, focusing on urban mobility in the Gulf region, gender-responsive planning, and national urban development frameworks. Framed by three main research questions, the review identified the major causes of traffic congestion in Bahrain; assessed how smart city approach and strategic vision inform mobility solutions; and explored the value of integrated, women-specific planning strategies. The findings revealed that lack of multi-modal transport integration, along with poor land-use coordination and a lack of effective stakeholder engagement—especially the integration of women perspectives— are critical factors leading to congestion and poor urban mobility. The review presents a strategic planning framework based on inclusive design, participatory governance, and smart infrastructure that integrates Bahrain Vision 2030 and SDG 11. This investigation provides recommendations to inform policies towards more inclusive urban development and smarter mobility planning in the Kingdom of Bahrain.