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Maneesh Bakshi
Doha
QATARI women enjoy enough freedom and are willing to play leading role in building the Qatar of tomorrow, says Qatari writer and entrepreneur Maryam al Subaiey.
In an exclusive interview with Qatar Tribune recently, Subaiey, who is the face of modern women in Qatar, said that compared to Qatari men, more Qatari women were inclined towards education and considered it as a stepping stone to bring about positive change in the society.
She continued,"I did a research while doing my Master's in 2010, which found that for every 100 professional Qatari women there were only 14 Qatari men with the equivalent qualification."
Subaiey said that the dynamics of the Qatari society was changing for good as women were getting more and more active in contributing to the progress of their country.
According to her, women in Qatar are playing a key role in facilitating Qatar's transition from a hydrocarbon-based economy to a knowledge-based one a key objective of Qatar National Vision 2030.
Emphasising that women are generally creative, she said that"With more women onboard there will be more beauty and creativity to everything."
On the question of social support to women, she said,"The society is divided on this. There are some who support women while there are others who do not take their issues seriously. There is a greater need for awareness of women's issues within the framework of our culture."
However, she added,"Qatari women do enjoy a freedom of choice. All the women I know have exercised their choice to continue their education and nobody stopped them from doing so. My parents did the same too. The stereotype notion that women have to do cooking and cleaning only does not apply to Qatari women."
Subaiey said that she wished to see more women in Qatar's Advisory (Shura) Council and the ministries to inspire Qatari women to accept challenging jobs and contribute to the progress of their country.
Subaiey completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from University of Essex and M.Sc. in Development Studies from SOAS University. Currently, she is running her own production company. She is also actively involved in various youth initiatives promoting gender equality and the role of Arab women in national development and progress.
