Will H H Sheikha Mozah adopt the Qatari Women’s Association? Saturday, 01 May 2010 12:03

Last Monday marked International Women’s Day, reminding us of the rights of women. Women have their concerns, especially within this male-dominated society, which sometimes marginalises them in certain environments, or ignores them within others.

On this occasion, in a statement issued by IISAM, the Permanent Observer of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, commended the role of H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned in promoting women, her pioneering role in the public realm, contribution to improving women’s conditions in a number of Arab countries, and building a national strategy geared toward the endorsement of Qatari women at all levels. This brings us to the question: Will HH Sheikha Mozah adopt the country’s first women’s association and bring it to activation and realization?

Currently, a Women’s Association is awaiting approval for its establishment, yet it remains under examination within the offices of the Ministry of Social Affairs.

When invited to join the efforts for the establishment of the Qatari Women’s Association by some of its founding members last year, I immediately agreed to support and encourage women, and when invited to the meetings and exchange of ideas, I knew that I was part of a beautiful experiment. I saw the creative minds of a group of women consisting of a university professor, specialized educator, executive director, businesswoman, etc.

While it is difficult to establish an association such as this from scratch, we managed to do so with the help of lawyers, specialists, and after brainstorming sessions. In our quest, we discovered that Qatari women have a thirst for the presence of such an association.

However, the problem lies in the obstacles facing any such association, such as the difficulty in obtaining a licence on the one hand, access to a headquarters, tools for its crystallization, and moral support from various factions of the State.

In Qatar, 25 years ago, there was a unique semblance of a women’s association that did not find support in its abilities to bring about the desired social feminist movement, nor any help to sustain it once it began to weaken. This group consisted of a distinct team of Qatari women who have now become pioneers in their areas of specialisation, and have succeeded in their careers, fulfilling some of the leadership positions in the country.

Its idea was simple, and relied on the faith of voluntary work for the advancement of women, pioneered by Mariam Jassim Al Darwish, who, through her dedication, attracted other budding female activists to join her efforts. Together, they managed to influence state institutions and gain respect for the formation of an entity known as the female branch of the Qatar Red Crescent Society.

The Qatar Red Crescent Society, single-handedly formed through voluntary efforts of Qatari women, organised courses and activities for women, yet was, unfortunately, closed. Since then, women have been denied an active sector to engage them.

Had the Society continued to work and fulfil the community’s desire for activism, generations would have been raised under the same values, and the women’s association would have several branches. Unfortunately, the experiment was not given a chance to develop and grow. Now, ahead of us, is another distinct opportunity from the hands of female Qatari volunteers.

This potential Women’s Association, currently awaiting ministerial approval from the office of Social Affairs, as previously mentioned, requires vast inputs beyond the ability of the group of volunteers that have formed the founding body.

This type of support calls for aid from all state institutions, but considering the area with which the association is concerned, the most appropriate of which is that of HH Sheikha Mozah; first, as a fellow woman, and second, as the Head of the Supreme Council of the Family, and, finally, as the active supporter of women’s issues in the region.

Sheikha Mozah’s support of this association could facilitate its approval for establishment, protect it from potential obstacles, and allow thousands of other women to interact and participate in it. The association targets women in Qatar of all nationalities, and welcomes the participation of men, who are complementary to women, and whose support for its activities are indispensable, and can enrich the activities of the association through volunteerism and community service, and building support of women as active members in the community and environment.

Some argue that private associations should not be financed by government sources in order to ensure their independence, self-governance, and autonomy. I argue the contrary, since an association cannot survive without sufficient resources, there should be no fear of the government’s influence just because these associations have received government funding; if there were a governmental directive intending to influence these associations’ partiality, it would certainly still occur under the external guise of formal autonomy.

All support of state institutions for the care of women and families should be welcomed, as these efforts will be the underlying basis for the establishment of the Women’s Association.

The hopefully awaited approval of H H Sheikha Mozah to adopt this Association is what will bring it to life, benefiting women, families, and the country. Without this endorsement, the Association will merely remain an attempt to break through bottlenecks, with all circumstances against it, whether administrative, financial, or community support for the advancement of women.

People live based on hope, and perhaps the echo of our voices may reach and find a response from the First Lady, and the patron of women and the family in Qatar.

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