The Ministry of Social Development and Family, headed by Mr. Fahd Mohammed Al-Khayarin, Assistant Under-Secretary for Social Development, participated in the international conference on advancing the rights and empowerment of women in Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20-21.

In reading the statement of the State of Qatar, Mr. Fahd Al-Khayarin stressed the importance of the rights and empowerment of women and, particularly the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, which constitute vital contributions to gender justice and empowerment.

He also highlighted that the State of Qatar continues with confident and rapid steps to achieve its development vision for 2030 and to take the necessary measures to bridge gender gaps, enhance their participation in public life, and empower them economically, socially, and politically. Women held ministerial and leadership positions, participated with distinction in the diplomatic corps and the judiciary, and held senior administrative positions in the education, health, energy, business, technology, social development, and family sectors. They became effective partners in the Shura Council and the Central Municipal Council.

He also underlined the commitment to gender mainstreaming and the equitable representation of women in national committees, governing bodies, and task forces in ministries and public institutions. In some instances, women have been active leaders.

He pointed out that the percentage of Qatari women’s participation in the labor market reached about 37% for women in the age group (25-29) years and is close to 49% for the age group (30-34) years, and the percentage of women’s representation in decision-making positions is 30%.

The activity of Qatari businesswomen has also witnessed remarkable development in recent times, driven by an increase in their numbers, official encouragement, and government facilities and incentives whose rationale is supporting Qatari women in industrial investments, banking, tourism, and trade. It represents a shift in the traditional investment patterns for women in Qatar. An annual award for businesswomen was created, given to the businesswoman who contributed most to the Qatari society and national economy, in addition to an initiative from the nation to highlight the products of productive families as a Qatari product for families that innovate and produce, in addition to the State Encouragement Award for Productive Families.

At the level of international commitments, the State of Qatar has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination and international agreements related to social affairs, the most important of which are the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The State of Qatar has also ratified all Arab and any Gulf agreements related to women.

The State of Qatar seeks to promote increased participation of women in public life by recognizing the partnership between work and parental responsibilities, achieving a balance between women’s professional and family responsibilities, and enhancing women’s role in society. It also provides support to assist them in achieving a balance between their family roles and duties.

We believe in achieving a better balance between work and other responsibilities. We also provide the necessary policies to enable women to achieve the required balance between work and family, in addition to adopting policies that help women reconcile family responsibilities with work as one of the most important goals, and providing educational and higher qualification opportunities for women, which Contribute to providing job opportunities for women.