(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Fazeena Saleem | The Peninsula
Prominent women from different sectors in the country have appreciated the impressive stride H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Qatar Foundation's Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation (QF) recently made by announcing that 50 per cent of all participants at QF's local and international events will be females, effective from 2020.
Sheikha Hind made the commendable announcement and reiterated QF's belief in removing gender-based barriers for individuals to encourage their personal development and making their voices heard in global conversations about issues that affect society.
The Peninsula spoke to a cross-section of prominent women in different sectors.
'I welcome H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani's recent pledge that will see women make up at least half the panel speakers at all QF conferences and events, locally and internationally. This commitment to greater representation of women on panels is a very positive step towards both gender equality and the inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives. I congratulate H E Sheikha Hind and QF for their contribution to women's empowerment, said Stefanie McCollum, Ambassador of Canada.
Ambassador of Ecuador Ivonne A Baki, who also advocates women empowerment and gender equality said, 'Gender equality is a human right, I fully agree with the fair-minded announcement by H E Sheikha Hind. My goal was always to be 50/50. In order to achieve gender balance, efforts must target those who are responsible for decisions affecting the composition of senior decision-making panels. As our world becomes more unpredictable and chaotic, Empowering women and girls is the only way to protect their rights and make sure they can realize their full potential.
In 2018, QF hosted around 40 major local and international events, attended by over 55,000 people. They include global conferences focused on addressing the greatest challenges that face not just Qatar, but the world. So the pledge by Sheikha Hind is a significant, and regionally ground-breaking, statement of intent.
FROM LEFT: Stefanie McCollum, Dr Muna Almaslamani, Dr Sohair Wastawy, Ivonne A-Baki and Mariam Nooh Al Mutawa
'It is also a statement of QF's values; our recognition that everyone owns great ideas and valuable perspectives; and our belief in providing opportunities for them to be voiced and heard. And while committing to at least 50 percent female participation on all our panels undoubtedly supports the empowerment of women, it is also about much more than this, said Mayan Zebeib, Chief Communication Officer, QF, on their website.
Dr Sohair Wastawy, Executive Director, of Qatar National Library said: 'It is a really welcoming announcement. Women play an important role in libraries around the world and occupy the majority of positions within them.
Not only we are 50 percent of the society, but we also form the majority gender in the profession, almost 80 percent. You can see it in Qatar, and around the world.
'While men have been in the forefront of library management, women have been taking many leadership roles in the last couple of decades. Having panels with 50% of the speakers as women is right, as they are equally qualified and should be equally represented. I am glad that H E Sheikha Hind is really looking into maintaining a balanced representation of gender across different fields in Qatar and beyond, she added.
Similarly prominent Qatari women in the health sector also welcomed the announcement by Sheikha Hind.
Dr Muna Almaslamani, Medical Director of Communicable Disease Centre and Senior Consultant Transplant-Infectious Disease at Hamad Medical Corporation said, 'It is a very impressive announcement. In Transplant Infectious Disease women play a major role have been success in making a difference in patients' lives. In every field including healthcare women make a difference. The challenges and rewards of my journey are plentiful, it is the same with other women and we are capable of contributing to the society equally.
Mariam Nooh Al Mutawa, Executive Director of Nursing at Rumilah Hospital said, 'All government and nongovernmental institutions in the country, are supporting and are in alignment with Qatar's National Vision 2030, specifically in relation with the human development pillar which also empower women to be included in different sectors and professions with fair and equal opportunities. Therefore I see it as a timely announcement made.
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