By Peter Alagos

More Qatari women have proven their efficiency in dealing with big-ticket investment projects by permeating major fields in the country’s business sector, Qatari Businesswomen Association (QBWA) vice chairwoman Aisha Alfardan said.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 5th Qatar International Businesswomen Forum yesterday at the St Regis Doha Hotel, Alfardan said, “With effort and persistence, Qatari women have been successful in running various businesses. Their presence is now felt in sectors such as finance, service, real estate, education, and health, among others.”

The forum concludes today.

According to Alfardan, other Arab countries also match the success achieved by Qatari women in the economic field.

She said 40% of commercial registrations in Bahrain belong to women, while in Saudi Arabia, 20% of registered companies are owned by Saudi women.

She said the number of female members in the Oman Chamber Of Commerce and Industry has already crossed the 9,000 mark, while women account for 9% of Oman’s total workforce.

In the UAE, more than 10,000 women “mange investments amounting to billions of dollars,” most of them belonging to the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector.

“Other statistics reveal that in the last 10 years, Gulf business women increased by 35%, a high percentage worldwide. This is an indication of the growth of women in the field of investments and female participation in different sectors,” Alfardan said.

This was echoed by Sare Davutoglu, the wife of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, during her keynote address.

“Transformations in the world economy have significantly changed the status of women globally. Women are stepping out of their homes and working side by side with men in the fields of education, medical, financial, and corporate life,” Davutoglu said.

She added, “Many women have shaped the social norms and culture of their time and continue to shape the destinies of other women by serving as a role model in history. The 20th century has ushered in new improvements for women, who are witnessing a new phase where they are perceived as part of economic and social life.”

Davutoglu said entrepreneurship has served as a catalyst of economic development and an important driver of change. This, she added, has fostered the participation of women entrepreneurs and strengthened the global economy, and could be a source of political, economic, and social innovation.

“Globalisation has steadily reduced barriers to entrepreneurship. The capability of women entrepreneurs in the age of globalisation has been acknowledged progressively, thus female entrepreneurship has been one of the major drivers contributing to the development process,” she explained.

Davutoglu said Turkish women comprise 27% of the country’s total workforce and are steadily occupying key positions (12% of top CEOs) in Turkey’s largest corporate companies.

 

 

 

Related Story