Women in Business in Qatar event organised by Pinsent Masons
Pinsent Masons, a law firm in Doha, hosted its second networking event, "Women in Business in Qatar", on Wednesday, November 9 at the W Hotel. The international firm had held a similar event at the beginning of this year.
Wednesday evening saw women active in the business community come together to discuss their optimism and reservations of working in Qatar, a country of great opportunity and challenges for professional females.
Sharing their experiences of working in Qatar, and other parts of the world, were Diane Mullenex, Partner and Head of Global Telecoms at Pinsent Masons, Ann-Michelle Burton, Regional Director at Oxford Strategic Consulting, and Mandy Thomas, a Civil and Structural Engineer at Parsons Brinckerhoff WSP. These women formed a panel of speakers discussing scenarios relating to subconscious forms of discrimination, expectations of females with family responsibilities and initiatives within organisations which seek to redress gender imbalances.
The discussion was opened up to an eager audience, who took part in a debate on a number of issues, particularly in relation to role models for females in the workplace and beyond, the advancement of women in professional positions and changes in culture (both within organisations and society as a whole).
The attendees also spoke about "women's rights" being framed more fundamentally as "human rights". Many women agreed that there needs to be better communication and understanding between the genders, and that a level playing field is crucial to achieving gender equality in the workplace. Another key message was that women need to be better at working together and supporting each other.
Qatar has seen an improvement in women's rights and participation of women in the workplace since the 1990s. The Qatar National Development Strategy, which works towards the Qatar National Vision 2030, envisages women's participation in the workforce rising to 40% this year, against a backdrop of improving working conditions.
However, the extent to which women are able to fully participate in working life will depend on continuing support available to help women (and men) balance family and professional responsibilities together with a cultural shift in the perception of women in the workplace.
Pinsent Masons looks forward to hosting more "Women in Business in Qatar" events in 2017. The event is an extension of its global "Project Sky" initiative which aims to improve gender balance in the firm's partnership and senior leadership teams, by removing barriers to the progression of women within the firm.
Sara Milne, a solicitor at Pinsent Masons and one of the organisers of the event, said: "We are thrilled to have held our second event in Qatar. It has been a pleasure to host such a fantastic panel of women, from a range of backgrounds, as well as our wonderful audience. The event would not have been possible without all of these remarkable ladies. Project Sky at Pinsent Masons continues to empower women in the business to meet and exceed their professional goals".
