Doha: An online panel discussion recently held to explore women’s contribution to the Qatar National Vision 2030, has concluded that female participation is helping to achieve nation’s goals.
Jointly organized by HEC Paris, ranked #1 in the Financial Times European Business Schools Rankings, and the French Embassy in Qatar, the online discussion, which was open to the general public, was aimed at promoting the contribution and leadership of women in all aspects of society.
The two-hour event, themed ‘Women & Qatar National Vision 2030: Contributions, Perspectives and Leadership’ attracted an audience from within and outside the country. Opened by Dr. Pablo Martin de Holan, Dean of HEC Paris in Qatar, along with H E Franck Gellet, French Ambassador to Qatar, the event was moderated by She posited that while evidence points to Qatar’s success in engaging women, female participation would need to be re-activated post the pandemic.
“The progress in realizing the Qatar National Vision 2030 in issues pertaining to women participation and empowerment in the different fields in Qatar has been evident. Many success stories have been celebrated locally and internationally however, it is paramount that we take stock of what has been achieved, and investigate the losses caused by the global pandemic and start planning for a recovery,” said Dr. Amal Al Malki, Founding Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University said.
The discussions centered around the views of three Qatari women leaders representing the financial, energy and telecommunication sectors. Panelist Sheikha Alanoud Hamad Al Thani, Managing Director of Business Development at the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority described 2020 as “a transformational year” in which the world witnessed unprecedented challenges that changed societal dynamics and instigated a ‘new normal’. “This gives us no choice but to adapt and strive to navigate the turbulences. The financial services industry is no exception, however it faired relatively well in navigating the COVID-19 implications, backed by the swift response of Qatar’s wise management,” she said.
Majda Soussi, Regional Communications Manager at ENGIE in the Middle East and Africa region, and Head of the Women in Networking (WIN) Group said her employer prioritized gender diversity with Engie’s executive committee being 40% female and the company recognizing the business case for diversity.
Munera Al Dosari, Chief Strategy Officer at Ooredoo, said digitalization, which had picked up speed during the pandemic, was opening up increased knowledge-based opportunities for women. The pandemic created opportunities in different sectors. For example in education, with a lot of courses available online women can take the opportunity to up-skill or start a new innovative business model online."
Reflecting on the event, Ambassador Gellet said the French Embassy was “very proud to have co-organized this panel discussion, which has allowed us to hear from different perspectives of women in relation to the Qatar National Vision 2030 and, more widely, to the future of Qatar, which is a major friend and partner of France.”
