Major work is underway to empower women in Qatar as part of the country’s 2030 national vision, an official of the Qatari Businesswomen Association (QBWA) has said.
The Qatar National Vision 2030 prioritises women’s right to study, work, and enhance their social status, according to QBWA board member Awatef Mohamed al-Dafa, who noted that one of the goals of the 2030 national vision is to enhance women’s capacities and help them fully participate in the political and economic spheres, mainly in decision-making.
“Our country’s legislation prevents discrimination against women when it comes to employment, whether in the public or private sector,” al-Dafa stated in ‘The Business Year: Qatar 2022, World Cup Special Edition’, which was released recently.
“I would like to see more women assuming better positions to play a role in the socio-economic growth of our country and achieve the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030,” she emphasised.
On raising awareness on the role of women in Qatar, al-Dafa said in the mid-2000s, she helped support underprivileged women and children in the US and the Arab world through fundraising and social work while working with the spouses of Arab ambassadors in the US-based Mosaic Foundation.
Similarly, she said QBWA has been assisting women for over a decade through vocational training and professional development to help them contribute to Qatar’s economic growth.
“Through QBWA, we have launched many initiatives for female entrepreneurs to develop their skills and advance their businesses,” al-Dafa explained, citing the importance of education.
She noted that Qatari women have focused on education to play a bigger role in society over the past two decades. At the postgraduate level, “female students have outnumbered males,” she also said.
“Almost 75% of Qatari students registered at Qatar Foundation universities have been women, according to the organisation’s official figures. Thanks to Qatar’s wise leadership, young Qatari women were given an alternative to scholarships abroad by attending international universities right here in Doha.
“These efforts have empowered women and given them greater opportunities to join the workforce. We have seen female decision-makers playing a pivotal role in the government sector, female doctors who worked day and night at the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic, and brilliant female engineers in the oil and gas sector, just to name a few,” al-Dafa pointed out.
She added: “My message to Qatari women is to stand up for their rights and inspire the new generation of young girls to be future leaders. Thanks to the great leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, women have gained equal opportunities with men and assumed the leadership positions of ministers, ambassadors, directors in both public and private institutions, and entrepreneurs among other roles. Qatari women have also become the region’s first female judges and prosecutors.
“I encourage women to never stop learning, educating themselves, and developing their skills. I call upon women’s organisations to support the building of self-confidence in women and to promote the self-development of young girls. I also call upon women to speak up if they face any kind of discrimination whether in the workplace or in society.”
 
 
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