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Ailyn Agonia
DOHA
Qatar Foundation’s (QF) strong commitment to supporting women is evident from the high number of female academics and students it has, and its many initiatives towards providing platforms and opportunities for more women to thrive.
There are 1,821 female employees at the QF which accounts for 51 percent of its total workforce, and out of them 492 are Qatari. The roster of top management also looks encouraging with many women holding leadership positions.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Qatar Tribune talked to three women at QF entities leading the way and winning in their fields of expertise.
“I see many women in leading positions in Qatar. In QF we have many women starting with the top of the pyramid and down to all levels. This is a silent and subtle inspiration yet a very powerful one for all other women,” said Dima Darwish, head of the scientific education at Qatar Genome Programme.
Dima, a scientific literacy and communication expert specialising in healthcare, research and development, said work-life balance is generally harder for women and if women want to seriously compete in science sector they will need to somehow compromise on the personal side of their lives. On the other hand, she stressed, society could find it more acceptable when men spend the majority of their time at work, that could lead to unfair competition.
She also stressed the importance of education, particularly continuous self-development, in empowering a person.
On whether the “glass ceiling” exists for women in her sector, she said it depends on demographics more than in sectors. “If a country empowers women, and young girls grow up seeing women in various leadership roles like in Qatar for example, then they won’t even know that there is a glass ceiling. Sometimes just being liberated from knowing that there is a barrier except for your own efforts makes you believe you can attain anything, and belief is a key factor for success. I hope there will come a day when all women in the world will not have a ceiling other than the sky,” she added.
Abeer Al Hammadi, who joined QF in 2008 and was appointed the first Manager of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer in 2011, said she believes Qatar is a “paradise” for women to work, citing ladies who have taken leadership positions across many fields.
Similarly, she said QF strives to provide women and men alike with opportunities to unlock their potential and thrive across many fields to contribute to the economic and social development of Qatar.
On what does the International Women’s Day slogan this year ‘#ChooseToChallenge’ mean for her, Abeer said while organisations in Qatar rewards women for their hard work, there are still some concepts that doubt women’s capabilities at work. She said, “We need to challenge the stigma behind male-dominated cultures and gender stereotypes especially in STEM. I believe women were designed to do the hardest job which is raising kids and endure the huge responsibilities that come along with that while trying to find a balance between her family and work.”
She also pointed out that she is not worried about young women nowadays as they receive so much encouragement and support all throughout.
Maha Al Romaihi, director of Tariq Bin Ziad School, said Qatar has advanced a lot in empowering women and stressed how QF has an impressive number of women in the decision-making role.
She explained how the pandemic had made working in educational field even more demanding with many obstacles and requirements to make sure that the educational process is going smoothly with students and parents. At the same time, she underscored how women like her can triumph amid the challenges.
“I’m always looking for new challenges in life. Women are used to go through life with challenges. Women study and work, and balance this with family and children. I chose to challenge myself this year and enrolled in a doctoral programme to gain my doctorate in education from the University of Southern California in Global Education. I am doing this while working full time, managing a big school and running my life as a mother and a wife,” she said.
As the world celebrate the achievements of women globally, she urged women to be strong and aim high. Maha said, “I want all women to be ambitious and work hard because they can do more than they can imagine.”
DOHA
Qatar Foundation’s (QF) strong commitment to supporting women is evident from the high number of female academics and students it has, and its many initiatives towards providing platforms and opportunities for more women to thrive.
There are 1,821 female employees at the QF which accounts for 51 percent of its total workforce, and out of them 492 are Qatari. The roster of top management also looks encouraging with many women holding leadership positions.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Qatar Tribune talked to three women at QF entities leading the way and winning in their fields of expertise.
“I see many women in leading positions in Qatar. In QF we have many women starting with the top of the pyramid and down to all levels. This is a silent and subtle inspiration yet a very powerful one for all other women,” said Dima Darwish, head of the scientific education at Qatar Genome Programme.
Dima, a scientific literacy and communication expert specialising in healthcare, research and development, said work-life balance is generally harder for women and if women want to seriously compete in science sector they will need to somehow compromise on the personal side of their lives. On the other hand, she stressed, society could find it more acceptable when men spend the majority of their time at work, that could lead to unfair competition.
She also stressed the importance of education, particularly continuous self-development, in empowering a person.
On whether the “glass ceiling” exists for women in her sector, she said it depends on demographics more than in sectors. “If a country empowers women, and young girls grow up seeing women in various leadership roles like in Qatar for example, then they won’t even know that there is a glass ceiling. Sometimes just being liberated from knowing that there is a barrier except for your own efforts makes you believe you can attain anything, and belief is a key factor for success. I hope there will come a day when all women in the world will not have a ceiling other than the sky,” she added.
Abeer Al Hammadi, who joined QF in 2008 and was appointed the first Manager of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer in 2011, said she believes Qatar is a “paradise” for women to work, citing ladies who have taken leadership positions across many fields.
Similarly, she said QF strives to provide women and men alike with opportunities to unlock their potential and thrive across many fields to contribute to the economic and social development of Qatar.
On what does the International Women’s Day slogan this year ‘#ChooseToChallenge’ mean for her, Abeer said while organisations in Qatar rewards women for their hard work, there are still some concepts that doubt women’s capabilities at work. She said, “We need to challenge the stigma behind male-dominated cultures and gender stereotypes especially in STEM. I believe women were designed to do the hardest job which is raising kids and endure the huge responsibilities that come along with that while trying to find a balance between her family and work.”
She also pointed out that she is not worried about young women nowadays as they receive so much encouragement and support all throughout.
Maha Al Romaihi, director of Tariq Bin Ziad School, said Qatar has advanced a lot in empowering women and stressed how QF has an impressive number of women in the decision-making role.
She explained how the pandemic had made working in educational field even more demanding with many obstacles and requirements to make sure that the educational process is going smoothly with students and parents. At the same time, she underscored how women like her can triumph amid the challenges.
“I’m always looking for new challenges in life. Women are used to go through life with challenges. Women study and work, and balance this with family and children. I chose to challenge myself this year and enrolled in a doctoral programme to gain my doctorate in education from the University of Southern California in Global Education. I am doing this while working full time, managing a big school and running my life as a mother and a wife,” she said.
As the world celebrate the achievements of women globally, she urged women to be strong and aim high. Maha said, “I want all women to be ambitious and work hard because they can do more than they can imagine.”
