Q Life Magazine Q Magazine (US) June 2017 | Page 38

Entrepreneurship and Business | | Issue 3 The Growing Success of Qatari Women in the Workplace T he last ten 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 currently 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 organizations 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 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 p