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Ailyn Agonia
Doha
QATARI student Asma al Jehani believes that having more women in the workforce and in the public sphere would make a big difference. This is why she pushed for the creation of the student club 'The Future is Female' at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q).
The movement, which she now leads with 14 other GU-Q students including a male member, was formed recently to empower women with much-needed skills and to encourage their active participation in the labour force.
"I was doing research on women in the Gulf and I found out that, during the pre-oil era, women were more active in both the labour force and the public sphere. It's just after the oil boom that we saw their participation dwindle over the next decade. I thought that is actually an interesting fact and something is needed to be done," Asma told Qatar Tribune in a recent interview.
'The Future is Female' conducts workshops headlined by industry experts on various topics such as business, politics, computer science, art, writing and negotiation. The aim is not only to hone the expertise of their participants, but also to encourage more conversations on the disparity between the number of women who are educated in Qatar and their presence in the workplace and public sphere.
On March 24, the club will host its first major conference which will gather around 200 participants. The event will feature the outputs of workshop participants as well as gather a number of inspirational women in the country in one place to learn from each other.
"Since forming this club, we have received a great response from the Education City community and beyond. We did not expect to receive so much support. I think the name of the club, which outright reflects the cause of our team, also helps in attracting people's attention," said Asma.
'The Future is Female' kicked off in January with an introductory workshop. The club's debut immediately created a buzz among GU-Q students and in Education City, and garnered support from a number of female achievers and other experts in the country. The team of 'The Future is Female' receives mentorship from no less than Dr Amal al Malki, the founding dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and another strong advocate of women's rights in the region. Among the experts who manage the club's workshops is writer-blogger Tahani al Hajri and Rasha Alem of the Qatari Art Association.
Speaking further about the depth of their cause, Asma added that while the role of women in Qatar's society is greatly valued, there is more to be done to ensure that women's potential is maximised and given more space.
The junior student lauded the work of Qatar Foundation Chairperson HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser as her top inspiration in pursuing her cause.
She said,"The role of women in Qatar's society is being acknowledged, but there are still some areas that needs attention. The problem is that we don't really want to acknowledge that such a gap still exists, and so that's what we are trying to do in this initiative. Like in the labour force, it is true that we have some great women out there, but there are also a lot of women being left behind. What we need is more conversations and more honesty on that matter."
Commenting on the various international campaigns on equality and women's rights that are gaining popularity even in Hollywood, Asma said,"It is great that it is mainstream now. It is less of a taboo and part of the usual conversations. If we are always talking about it, it is much easier to solve the problem."
Sara Elamin, a member of the organising committee of the upcoming 'The Future is Female' conference, said,"I think as clich` as it may sound, women's rights are human rights. I was very proud of Asma for coming up with the idea [of the club] and so when she decided to make a team, I was very happy to volunteer and become a part of this huge initiative. I envision generations of many inspiring Georgetown women taking care of the legacy of 'The Future is Female' and making sure that it's something that continue for years after we graduate."
