Marked increase in Qatari women’s participation in various sectors: al-Sada

By Joseph Varghese/Staff ReporterThere has been a greater participation of Qatari women in various sectors of society in recent years, HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada has observed.He was speaking at the fourth annual Qatar International Business Women Forum, which started yesterday.Organised by the Qatari Business Women Association (QBWA) in partnership with Interactive Business Network (IBN), the forum is welcoming more than 1,000 delegates from 39 countries around the world. The two-day event, which will discuss issues pertaining to promoting women in business, is being held under the patronage of HE the Minister of Economy and Trade Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani. The theme of this year’s event is “Arab business women as change makers”.Aisha Alfardan, vice-chairperson of QBWA; Barton Cahir, president of Exxon Mobil Qatar; Wael Sawan, managing director and chairman of Qatar Shell; and Raed Chehaib, CEO of IBN, also addressed the gathering during the opening ceremony. Datin Seri Rosmah binti Mansor, First Lady of Malaysia; Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of Isha Foundation (India); HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr Hamad bin Abdul Aziz al-Kuwari; ambassadors from various embassies in Qatar and a number of distinguished guests were present on the occasion.HE Dr al-Sada said education has opened up several opportunities for women in Qatar. “HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the chairperson of Qatar Foundation, who is a role model for the new generation of Qataris, has contributed to the empowerment of women by supporting many women’s issues, especially education. Qatari women have outnumbered men in high school and university education for so many years and the trend still continues,” he said.HE the Minister of Energy and Industry stressed that Qatar has worked to integrate women’s issues in the various components of national strategies and plans. “Qatar has taken a push from a national roadmap to a better society under Qatar National Vision 2030. This vision concentrates on education and social development as the main tools helping women play a very important role in all fields of society, taking economic and social decisions. Qatar has done its best to include women in all national development and strategic plans,” he added.The QBWA vice-chairperson said the forum aims to help Qatari, Gulf and Arab women. “We will discuss the obstacles they face in the Arab region and how we can work together, hand in hand, to overcome these and find solutions. It is about co-operation and working together to advance the role of women in business throughout the world,” she said, adding that it was an opportunity to act as a unified voice representing the interests of all women in all sectors of business.Cahir, on his part, said: “There is far greater recognition of the value diverse teams bring to improving business results and sustaining success. The growing rate of women in business and leadership roles proves that we are making progress. We need to foster a work environment that enables all employees to grow and thrive, with a specific focus on women.”Sawan said it was the right time to discuss such a critical issue concerning women. “In the region, we have invested in education and training, unleashing the talent of not only our men but also our women. Investment in education and training regionally has empowered a generation of women to take an active part in shaping the changing world around them. Increasing women’s role in the workplace will help us achieve progressive change and make improvements towards closing the gender gap,” he noted.HE Dr al-Sada, Qatar University president Prof Sheikha Abdulla al-Misnad, the first lady of Malaysia, Dr Maryam Matar (chairman and founder of the UAE Genetic Diseases Association) and Haifa al-Kaylani (founder and chairman of Arab International Women’s Forum) were honoured during the ceremony.