Fawziya Bint Edress Al Sulaiti
Violence against women is an obstacle to achieving the goals of equality, development and peace. Violence against women is considered one of the forms of violation of human rights, which hinders and nullifies their enjoyment of fundamental freedoms. The emergence of such violence is the result of discrimination against them in law and gender inequality. The long-term failure to protect and promote those rights and freedoms is an issue of concern to all states and should be addressed.
Therefore, public awareness of gender-based violence must be increased throughout the world. Women should be able to participate fully in society as well as actors in the political and economic field as well as in the decision-making process, which are a rotation discouraged by gender-based violence.
Increasing the economic empowerment of women and helping them to have an active role around the table, where politicians, government and local officials and opinion leaders play a pivotal role in the life of society. In order for any change at the system level to be sustainable, it must have the support of these leaders. In this case, it is necessary to include women among them.
The promotion of promoting cultural change at the family level is also important, and it usually includes all family members, especially men.
In the same context, the State of Qatar has made great strides for the advancement and empowerment of Qatari women, as today they enjoy all their rights assigned to them by the Qatari Constitution, based on its firm belief in the importance of promoting women’s human rights and enhancing their equal participation in the country’s sustainable development efforts, in line with its National Vision 2030.
Qatari women have become competing with men in the highest administrative positions, in addition to being an effective partner in the development process of the state’s renaissance, through her holding several ministerial positions and senior positions in various fields, and their participation as candidates and voters in municipal elections and Shura Council elections. She also represented the State of Qatar in international forums and proved to be an honorable front for her country, which made her an effective partner in decision-making processes at the highest levels.
The State of Qatar is always affirmed in international forums to promote and protect women’s rights, and to eliminate practices that constitute violence against them, and it is the responsibility of governments in the first place. In the field of combating violence against women in particular, laws were enacted that focused on protecting women from all causes of violence, the most important of which are: family law and the law against human trafficking. Gender issues, including issues of violence against women, were also integrated into national strategies and plans. Practical policies and programs were developed to address them through the establishment of specialized institutions, led by the Qatari Al Aman Dar concerned with sheltering victims of violence and providing them with social services to them, including health care services, social rehabilitation and consultations. Legal and others, the state has also provided support to NGOs working in this field.
From my point of view as a diplomat, I see feminist foreign policy, one of the factors that may contribute to the achievement of security, peace and justice in the world. The presence of female foreign ministers and ambassadors representing their countries will bring enormous benefits to diplomacy.
Their leadership styles, experiences and priorities expand the scope of the issues under consideration and the quality of results. The unequal representation of women in foreign policy actually harms peace.
And when it comes to women’s rights and advancement, it’s a matter of pride and encouragement both in Qatar and the rest of the world.
The writer is Qatar’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Indonesia and Asean; Democratic Republic of East Timor (non-resident) and Papua New Guinea (non-resident).
The writer is Qatar’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Indonesia and Asean; Democratic Republic of East Timor (non-resident) and Papua New Guinea (non-resident).
