Qatar Adopted Clear Policies to Enhance the Status of Women: Deputy Speaker of Shura Council

Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti

HE Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council, Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti affirmed that social justice and social solidarity are among the main pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030, which is affirmed by the permanent constitution of the State of Qatar as a basic right of citizenship.

Her Excellency indicated that, in accordance with the wise directives of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the State of Qatar has adopted clear policies to enhance the status of women in all fields, and provided them with opportunities in the field of education and access to health services and opportunities to participate in various fields of work, in addition to exercising their right to political participation.

This came in Her Excellency's speech before the 145th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, held in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, which discussed the topic of "gender equality and gender-sensitive parliaments as drivers of change for a more resilient and peaceful world." Her Excellency drew attention to the importance of the topic of dialogue and discussion, through which the association seeks to achieve peace, security, stability and development for all mankind, by achieving gender equality and enhancing the role of women in society.

She touched on the IPU's Gender Equality Action Plan, which was issued ten years ago and was unanimously approved by the 127 members of the IPU General Assembly in Quebec, Canada.

In a related context, HE the Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council reviewed the achievements of the State of Qatar in this field, by highlighting her position as the first vice president of the first elected Shura Council, which bodes well for more achievements and what gives her hope is that her brothers chose her for this position, members of the Council of men, she stated.

She continued that thanks to the equal opportunities provided by the state for women in employment, Qatari women have held senior executive and administrative positions, and worked as minister, ambassador, entrepreneur, public prosecutor and judge, and today they constitute more than 40 percent of the workforce in all fields, especially in the field of education and health and social work.

Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti mentioned that Qatar's efforts to achieve social justice were not limited to the interior, but also supported and encouraged women's education in many countries, especially in areas of war, conflict and disaster.

She added by saying that the last of these efforts is the prominent Qatari role in advocating Afghan women, based on the belief of the State of Qatar that women's participation in making, preserving, building and sustaining peace is vital and a prerequisite for the success of these endeavors.

Her Excellency pointed out that parliaments and countries behind them strive to achieve social justice through multiple contexts and mechanisms, indicating that these endeavors have faced obstacles and faced multiple crises, such as ignorance, poverty, disease, wars, displacement, migrations, pandemics, economic crises, and climate change.

She said that these obstacles prevented, and still are, from achieving the desired goal by 2030, especially since failure to overcome them means instability, insecurity and economic backwardness, which complicates all aspects of life.

HE the Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council referred to the situation of the struggling woman in Palestine, who are suffering all these grave difficulties, and shares her Palestinian brothers enduring hardship and racial discrimination and bearing the bulk of the scourge and effects of the crimes of the occupation, including restrictions in education and work, and the economic blockade which deprives Palestinian women of all their rights, in particular in the city of Jerusalem and al Aqsa.

His Excellency stressed that issues of social justice are inseparable from issues of security, peace and wars, issues of conflicts, displacement and migration, climate change, and other issues.

She stressed the State of Qatar's endeavor to share the world in efforts to secure food and medicine and the sovereignty of peace, and to support the efforts of developing countries in their quest to address climate change, noting that the State of Qatar signed the document of terms of reference for the Forum of Producing Countries, which produces 40 percent of the world's oil and gas, this confirms the State of Qatar's commitment to the decisions of the Nusa Dua Declaration to achieve net zero emissions.

In a related context, she pointed out that the State of Qatar, and its position as an active and pioneering country in the field of peaceful settlement of conflicts and disputes, has recently mediated in gathering the will of the parties in Chad and signing the Doha Peace Agreement.

Her Excellency called for reasoning and resorting to peaceful means to resolve all disputes and settle all conflicts, which Qatar constantly calls for, and what HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani is working to achieve through the mediations carried out by HH, and through his continuous and generous support for United Nations initiatives.

Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council confirmed the readiness of the State of Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, describing it as the championship of the environmentally friendly era, and calling for love, peace and tolerance, she announced her hope that it will be an unprecedented football event, spreading peace and upholding the values of equality and tolerance, adding that, calling on those gathered to participate in this major sporting event.

At the beginning of her speech, HE the Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council expressed her thanks and appreciation to the friendly government and people of Rwanda, and to the Rwandan Parliament for the kind invitation to participate in the work of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and for the generous hospitality, good reception and organization, wishing the General Assembly success, and achievement of desired objectives.

(QNA)