Sheikha Alanoud bint Hamad Al Thani, Managing Director of Business Development at the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority
Doha: Women leaders have expressed their optimism on the increasing gender equality across workplaces in Qatar at the live online discussion ‘Women in Business’ which was organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Qatar and the Doha Women Forum yesterday.
Speaking during the event, Spanish Ambassador to Qatar H E Belen Alfaro reiterated that labor force participation for Qatari women stood at 51 percent, which is the highest rate in the Arab world and higher than the global average.
“I am impressed by the role that the women play in Qatar’s labour force. Also, about 64 percent of the graduates here are women. These are numbers, but I have also lived this myself interacting with Qatari women. And I am impressed by how they establish startups or open their own businesses,” added Alfaro.
Spanish Ambassador to Qatar H E Belen Alfaro
Sheikha Alanoud bint Hamad Al Thani, Managing Director of Business Development at the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority, went on to draw a parallel with growth for diversification efforts in the Qatari economy, as well as in gender equality in the country’s workforce. She said that there are currently over 1,200 firms from a diversified portfolio at QFC, and over 30 percent of senior functions in these companies are led by women. “Gender equality is embedded in the Qatar National Vision 2030. The environment in Qatar is very much supportive. And it’s very refreshing to see having a high number of women in leadership positions in the financial sector. But more needs to be done, and that’s basically up to us as a society globally.
“The opportunities are there. But I am not saying it’s easy. We need more women in leadership positions. And I’m sure we will achieve that with other forms of support, where you have male champions supporting women and opportunities that support women’s needs, and others,” added Sheikha Alanoud.
According to Ibtihaj Al Ahmadani, Board Member at the Qatar Chamber (QC), about 36 percent of the total number of Qataris in the private sector who actively contribute to the Qatari economy are Qatari women. She added that the percentage of women working as specialists in various fields accounts for 44 percent of the total number of Qatari women in the workforce.
Ibtihaj Al Ahmadani, Board Member at the Qatar Chamber (QC)
“As Qatari women, we are blessed to live in a society where the honourable leadership strongly believes that women must be given their due importance for the positive and constructive contribution to the economy. The business environment in Qatar provides equal support for both women and men. The regulations also support women to engage in businesses. And Qatari women are also active in businesses internationally,” said Al Ahmadani, who is also the first female Qatari to serve as Board Member at the QC.
Sheikha Al Anoud added: “H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser played a very important role in all of this by being an example and changing mindsets. We have seen this shift happening in Qatar in the last 10 or 20 years. Today we see it’s natural for women to work. Before it was frowned upon. Today it’s also natural that women are in public positions setting policies, not only on national levels, but in international levels”.
CEO of Facilities Management and Maintenance (FMM) Company, Irene Vidal
During the event, CEO of Facilities Management and Maintenance (FMM) Company, Irene Vidal, also shared how she has charted a career in a male-dominated industry out of a desire to be self-sufficient. “I choose to focus on work and what’s important. And if you’re a results-oriented person, you won’t have to worry about other people’s biases,” she said.
She went on to highlight several strategies to increase gender diversity in the workplace such as recommending quota systems to include women in company boards.
During the panel discussion which was moderated by Samar Abou Farah, PR Director at La Difference, all the women leaders in the panel also stressed that education is critical to achieving career success.
In their most recent Global Gender Gap report, the World Economic Forum projects that it will take more than a century to close the current gender gap in the countries it covers. Yet, overall trends show increasing gender equality in many countries.
