Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, vice chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation (QF), has made a pledge that women will make up at least half the panel speakers at all its conferences and events, locally and internationally.
QF is a non-profit organization made up of more than 50 entities working in education, research, and community development. The pledge means participants in discussions and debates at every QF event, from summits to workshops, will always be no less than 50 percent female.
Participants in discussions and debates at every QF event, from summits to workshops, will always be no less than 50 percent female.
The regionally groundbreaking pledge will take effect from the start of 2020 across the 5,000-strong organisation. It will be a key player in Qatar’s economic and social transformation through its initiatives in education, science and research, and community development.
Announced in the wake of the recent International Women’s Day, the move builds on the impact QF has made, over more than two decades, in providing opportunities for people to participate in driving the advancement of society on a local and global scale – regardless of gender, background, and culture – and to fostering diversity and inclusivity.
Supporting the United Nations’ focus on female empowerment as a crucial aspect of addressing global economic, social, and political challenges, the pledge announced by Her Excellency Sheikha Hind aims to strengthen dialogue and action on platforms within Qatar, across the Middle East and North Africa region, and around the world.
It aims to and ensure that both male and female perspectives are applied to the task of tackling issues that lie at the core of economic, social, and human development.
Her Excellency Sheikha Hind said: “It is my belief, and that of Qatar Foundation, that neither gender nor any other consideration should present a barrier to a person’s development, their pursuit of opportunity, and their voice being heard in global conversations about topics, themes, and challenges that affect all of society.
“The pledge we announce today is a natural, visible, and powerful extension of this belief. Through our investment in education and our ethos as an organization, Qatar Foundation’s commitment to providing opportunities for everyone to be an active participant in society is personified by the diversity of the achievers and role models we nurture, and the impact they are making in a wide spectrum of fields within Qatar and beyond.
“Now, by committing to having at least 50 percent female representation on all our conference and event panels from 2020 onward, we aim to further emphasize Qatar Foundation’s role as a leader and driver of inclusivity and positive social change, nationally and regionally – and the necessity of both men and women being part of making this change happen.”
