Q Life Magazine Q Magazine June 2017 | Page 36

| Issue 2 The Growing Success of Qatari Women in the Workplace T he last 10 years have seen some important developments in the journey of Qatari women – both at school and in the workplace. Fields that were previously dominated by men are now industries where women are flourishing. From engineering, to oil and gas, women are holding senior positions across both the private and the public sector. Today, well over half of Qatari women are economically active and around 20% of senior management positions are held by women. There is also a growing number of female entrepreneurs and business owners who are pursuing new and creative ideas with the support of organisations such as Qatar Development Bank. Qatar Development Bank provides female entrepreneurs with support to develop and pursue their business ideas, including training, market research and, crucially, securing capital. Meanwhile, Qatar Foundation is also working with young female 36 entrepreneurs to help them build their client base and promote their services. These developments reflect the evolving role of women in Qatar and the country’s commitment to promoting and supporting their active involvement in the economy as part of its 2030 National Vision. At the heart of this Vision is a focus on ensuring young women and girls have the right educational opportunities. Each year, more and more women are going on from school to pursue further education. In fact, Qatar University’s 2016 graduating class comprised almost 75% women. This year, the class looks set to match this impressive statistic again. Qatar knows that if its economy is to flourish in the post-oil and gas world, the whole of its citizenry, men and women, must play their part. This will require the right conditions and support for everyone to adapt, innovate, and thrive – which is precisely the environment Qatar is working to create.