Qatar tops the region in gender equality, women’s participation in the labour force, equality in wages in the gov-ernment sector and the highest rate of female enrollment in universities. Qatari women hold the highest adminis-trative positions, including ministerial berths, take part in municipal and the Shura Council elections as candidates and are an effective partner in decision-making proc-esses at the highest levels.
The country attaches great importance to women in all fields, thanks to the equal opportunities provided by the state in terms of care, education and employment.
Qatar’s constitution prohibits discrimination against women, and the state continues implementing, approving and expanding the scope of policies that give women the freedom and power to make their own decisions.
According to the Planning and Statistics Authority figures released in March, the total number of female students enrolled in universities were 24,807, which is equivalent to 70.4 percent of the total enrollment in the 2019 academic year.
The total number of female graduates from universities in 2019 was about 3,917 female students, equivalent to 67.5 percent of the total graduates that year. Women occupy several leadership positions in various commercial sectors and 20 percent of commercial records in the country are registered in the name of Qatari businesswomen.
The number of commercial records increased from 1,400 in 2015 to nearly 4,000 in 2020.Third Secretary of Qatar’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Sheikha Al Maha bint Mubarak Al Thani speaking before the General Debate of the Third Committee of the 77th Session of the General Assembly on the item Advancement of Women said that the legislation and policies aimed at achieving a balance between work and family responsibilities adopted by Qatar have con-tributed to empowerment of Qatari women and enhancing their participation in the workforce.
Qatar has also con-tributed to international efforts to prevent discrimination against women.
Towards this goal, Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) along with other strategic partners recently launched a new global initiative for the empowerment of women and girls in conflict-affected areas through humanitarian aid and developmental assistance.
The programme, called Women in Conflict Zones (WICZ), aims to change the lives of thousands of women and girls through access to social and economic services. Its projects include programmes that provide educational opportunities and vocational training for girls in Afghan-istan. WCIZ, led by QFFD and in collaboration with the UN Development Programme, will focus on six areas: crisis response, education, healthcare, economic oppor-tunity, technology and peacebuilding.
