Qatar pays great attention to women’s education, empowering them to qualify for the highest leadership positions as the country believes in their contributions essential for the advancement of society and the nation.
The country celebrated with the rest of the world the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11 to raise awareness of the need to promote women’s education in mathematics, technology and science.
The event aims to advance gender equality. In a message on this occasion, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: “Women and girls bring diversity to research, expand the pool of science professionals, and provide fresh perspectives to science and technology, benefiting everyone. There is growing evidence that gender bias in science is leading to worse outcomes, from drug tests that treat the female body as an aberration, to search algorithms that perpetuate bias and discrimination.”
Qatar attaches great importance to women in all fields, thanks to the equal opportunities provided by the state in terms of care, education and employment.
The constitution prohibits discrimination against women, and the state continues implementing, approving and expanding the scope of policies that give women the freedom and power to make their own decisions.
According to the Planning and Statistics Authority figures released last year, the total number of female students enrolled in universities was 24,807, which is equivalent to 70.4 percent of the total enrollment in the 2019 academic year.
The total number of female graduates from universities in 2019 was about 3,917 female students, equivalent to 67.5 percent of the total graduates that year. Women occupy several leadership positions in various commercial sectors and 20 percent of commercial records in the country are registered in the name of Qatari businesswomen.
Qatar has also contributed to international efforts to prevent discrimination against women. Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) along with other strategic partners has launched a global initiative for the empowerment of women and girls in conflict-affected areas through humanitarian aid and developmental assistance.
The programme, called Women in Conflict Zones (WICZ), aims to change the lives of thousands of women and girls through access to social and economic services. Its projects include programmes that provide educational opportunities and vocational training for girls in Afghanistan. WCIZ, led by QFFD and in collaboration with the UN Development Programme, focuses on six areas: crisis response, education, healthcare, economic opportunity, technology and peacebuilding.
