Qatar joined the world in celebrating the International Women’s Day yesterday, emphasising women’s role in nation building. Authorities in Qatar has been keen on asserting the role of women in society and has been continuously exerting every effort to bring the country’s women folk to the forefront of every sector whether it is education, economy, administration, health and medicine, arts or sports.
In order to ensure women are enjoying equal status and opportunities as their men counterparts, the architects of the country’s Permanent Constitution aptly provided enough provisions to prohibit discrimination. Article 35 categorically specifies that people are equal before the law and that there is no discrimination between them on the grounds of gender, origin, language or religion.
In Qatar, one cannot point out any discrimination whether it is in the field of leadership or business. There are hundreds of women who made their mark in business, administration, educational field, cultural and art sectors to mention a few. While in the western world, who extols themselves as models in women emancipation, women still complain of pay disparities and discrimination, in Qatar they enjoy equal pay and opportunities, making the country a model to others.
When speaking about women empowerment in Qatar, mentioning just her name will not be enough to recognise and be grateful for the efforts of H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who stands tall as a model for every women not only in Qatar, but also in the world at large. The country will always be thankful to Her Highness for her role in the education excellence the country is witnessing. As Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, she was instrumental in bringing several international universities of fame to Qatar. Her efforts are not limited to Qatar, but it extends to every part of the world. One of the most valued contribution of Her Highness at the global level is the ‘Education Above All’ initiative. Under this initiative, the Educate A Child programme already reached 10 million children across the world who have been deprived of education.
In Qatar, there are several women in high governance positions as Ministers, Deputy Speaker, Shura Council members, deans of colleges top diplomats, etc. The total number of female students enrolled in Qatar’s universities reached 24,807 as per official data in 2019, and they outnumber male students. Thus, in Qatar, women are encouraged to hold their heads high, live a dignified life, compete with men in every field without discrimination and play their part not only at home, but in nation building and governance and, here of course, instead of discrimination, women enjoy privileges.
