The Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF), represented by the Family Development Department has organized a seminar on enhancing the role of women empowerment in social development.

The two-day event entitled ‘Towards A Secure Future: Empowering Women and Integrating Their Roles in Society’ was held on ‘International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women’.

It comes with Qatar National Vision 2030 highlighting its social goal, which pays great attention to women’s economic and social participation.

The seminar also came within the framework of achieving the third National Development Strategy which aimed at achieving a cohesive family society that preserves its values, and achieving the fourth goal of the strategy of MSDF, which includes empowering women and mothers.

At the beginning of the seminar, the Director of the Family Development Department Dhabia Al-Maqbali, said that this seminar discussed a very important topic, which is women’s empowerment.

She added: “This issue is not only the focus of our attention today, but it is a fundamental pillar in the development process that we all seek to achieve. Women are a fundamental partner in building and advancing society.

“She is the mother who instills values, the teacher who refines minds, and an important element among other elements that contribute to driving the economy. Throughout history, women have always been an integral part of building civilizations, and have made significant contributions in various fields.”

Al-Maqbali said that empowering women is important because it allows them to continue their vital role in the family and society, because it enhances their role as a major driver in achieving sustainable development, by reducing poverty and improving the standard of living.

She added: “Empowering women is not just a slogan we raise, but a necessary step towards building a stronger and more cohesive society. Let us work together to create a supportive environment that encourages women to be creative and innovative, and contributes to strengthening their position as equal partners in the national development process.”

The seminar addressed various topics for enhancing awareness of women’s issues and their impact on the individual and society. It touched on topics of legal rights, and economic and social empowerment.

The seminar also aims to introduce the services of the Ministry and its specialized centers in various fields related to women’s economic and social empowerment and protecting the family from disintegration.

It provides a platform for exchanging experiences by participating parties for creating a supportive bloc to empower women and support them amid ongoing global changes, to protect women, and to support them by mobilizing resources.

In the legal rights axis, the Human Rights Committee spoke about the protection of women by law and how to empower them in society.

The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs discussed the position of the Sharia on women’s issues. The seminar also discussed societal awareness of issues of violence against women.

Hamad Medical Corporation presented the medical aspect related to the same issue. Doha International Family Institute presented the axis of women’s empowerment locally between reality and hope. In integration with this aspect, the representative of the College of Law at Qatar University spoke about the legal aspect of these issues.

Regarding women’s economic empowerment, the seminar addressed women’s economic empowerment, the balance between women’s ambition and their role in the family, and the legal aspect of women’s economic empowerment.

Qatar Media Corporation discussed the role of media in economic empowerment. Doha Institute for Graduate Studies highlighted cultural and social challenges of women’s empowerment, while the Digital Innovation Department at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology addressed issues of artificial intelligence and women’s empowerment.

The seminar introduced various services of MSDF through its centers including the Child and Women Protection Center, Aman, the Family Counseling Center, Wifaq, and the social counseling service provided by the Ministry.