Women constitute 70% of graduatesin IT, science and medicine in Qatar
‘Women represent 58.3% of the local workforce, with strong representation in foreign policy, security & judiciary’
QNA
Geneva: The State of Qatar reaffirmed its belief in the importance of women’s participation in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), considering it a key element in preparing a more balanced workforce to support sustainable development goals.
This came in a statement by Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva HE Dr Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah during the International Telecommunication Union’s celebration of the International Girls in ICT Day under the theme of leadership.
She pointed out that the enrollment rate of women in higher education in 2021 reached significant levels, with women constituting 70% of graduates in fields such as information systems, computer engineering, general engineering, medicine, pharmacy, and sciences. She emphasized the necessity of providing technology as a key factor in transforming Qatar into a knowledge-based economy accessible to all members of society, including women.
Her Excellency added that Qatar’s analysis revealed the need to develop skills in data science, robotics, cybersecurity, and to improve the use of administrative software, programming, and collaborative platforms. In response to these challenges, several initiatives have been launched in Qatar to increase awareness and support the development of digital skills within the current and future workforce.
She highlighted Qatar’s intensive investment in women’s education, with women now representing over 58.3% of the local workforce, with strong representation in foreign policy, security, judiciary, and the military, achieving a 15% share in entrepreneurship with investments amounting to $25bn.
To ensure Qatari women keep pace with technology, Qatar is working to provide various training programs on ICT skills, including social media awareness to enhance small business activities, raise awareness of e-government services, and improve access to these services from home.
Since 2007, Qatar has launched the digital inclusion project as a major step towards developing ICT skills among Qatari women, targeting various segments including households, working women, and teachers.
She said that women in Qatar represent 51.6% of all university engineering students.
Her Excellency also explained that the strong representation of Qatari women leaders at the Web Summit Qatar 2024, held from Feb. 26 to 29 in Doha, demonstrated the increasing prowess of Qatari women in the technology sector, breaking previous stereotypes about women’s roles in technology in the country.
