Members of the Association of Bangladeshi Women in Qatar (Ananna) with Bangladesh Ambassador to Qatar H E Md. Jashim Uddin.
As a way of celebrating its second anniversary and recognising the contribution of its members, the Association of Bangladeshi Women in Qatar (Ananna) organised an event yesterday at the Radisson Blu Hotel Doha.
Besides the awarding of plaques and certificates to members for their efforts and participation in many past activities, the first-ever Bangladeshi women organisation in Qatar also showcased traditional Bangladeshi products and homemade food.
A special guest at the celebration was the Bangladeshi Ambassador to Qatar H E Md. Jashim Uddin. Talking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the event, the Ambassador said that the embassy supports organisations like Ananna because “they not only present our culture to the Qatari society but we also join hands to project Bangladesh as a brand”.
He said there are several numbers of Bangladeshi women in Qatar because of the many families who come here, and these women while keeping their own identity also take the opportunity to represent Bangladesh by sharing their culture and tradition.
He added: “The embassy supports women organisations by providing different kinds of platforms for them. For example, during the annual Agritech events, which was organised by the Qatari government, the embassy provided space in the venue for women groups so they can introduce our products and services.”
Ambassador Uddin also said that whenever the embassy has programmes and activities, they try to inform community groups and he makes sure to be available during those programmes and gatherings, such as the Ananna event. “I try to encourage women to come forward and join these kind of organisations,” he said.
H E Md. Jashim Uddin Bangladeshi Ambassador to Qatar
When asked about the ways to enhance women empowerment, he said: “First thing is to educate women; therefore the embassy has all kinds of programmes to draw women to education and to help them educate themselves. Also to make them aware of their rights and responsibilities.”
He added: “In Bangladesh, we are very lucky to have a woman leader, Prime Minister H E Sheikh Hasina who has been in-charge of the country for quite a long time. She understands the importance of women as half of the 168 million population in Bangladesh are women. We believe that if you want to transform Bangladesh into a developed country, the role of women will be very important.
“As far as Qatar is concerned, in terms of women empowerment, this is a very good place because the Government of Qatar itself encourages women to empower themselves. Her Highness Sheikha Moza, for example, has been contributing to a number of areas including education and health. Overall, Qatar is a very congenial place for women to work and to be empowered.”
Ambassador Uddin affirms embassy’s commitment to provide various platforms, along with the platforms provided by the Qatari government, and to make those platforms available to Bangladeshi women, with the purpose to empower them. Most importantly, he said, to help women see their power in terms of their ability to contribute in different areas in the society.
Ananna President Israt Ara Younus said that she is really proud to celebrate successes and achievements of Ananna on its second year.
She added: “During the World Cup, there will be a lot of activities that will showcase different nationalities or expat communities in Qatar, and our women group hopes to participate in those and present our products and services to football fans around the world.”
Younus said they want to introduce Bangladeshi foods and crafts handmade by their women members, as through these they can showcase the tradition and culture of Bangladesh during the tournament.
