When women are actively engaged members of the workforce, families, societies and countries benefit greatly. In fact, empowering women generally has a multiplier affect across society, helping to create more rapid and positive changes in communities which translates into improved health, education and overall well-being within families. Numerous studies illustrate this indisputable fact and it is clear that as Qatar progresses towards being a knowledge economy, women are an important economic factor.
May 17th marked the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2012 (WTISD) with this year’s theme being “Women and Girls in ICT.”
Information and communication technology (ICT) is among the best ways to better integrate women into the workforce and enable them to realize their full, professional potential. ICT serves as a powerful equalizer for women in their professional pursuits, especially as they compete against their male counterparts who still receive preferential treatment in many societies.
The Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR) hosted a day of activities for WTISD 2012 for a group of high-achieving young women who aspire to careers in the ICT field. Nearly 20 young women took part in the activities, which included mentoring sessions with leading women in ICT, as well as workshops on blogging and social media. The session took them through the blogging process, from set up to content creation.
Most girls setup blogs and many want to write about life and society in Qatar. ictQATAR is going to continue to work with these students for four weeks after the event to provide support and advice around the development of blogs and they will then be featured on the TumuhaTEC website and there will be a prize for the best blog.
ictQATAR is committed to empowering woman through ICT and nurturing progressive careers for women in the sector. As an organization that is led by a woman, Dr. Hessa Al-Jaber, our Secretary General and with many women in senior positions throughout the organization, we are fully aware of the benefits and the challenges of bringing this about.
Our programs include a work from home model in Qatar that allows women to balance personal and work obligations through a technologically-equipped Virtual Office Environment. Additionally, we are working with the private sector to make a wide variety of e-learning courses available to help women advance in their careers. We have also launched a comprehensive program aimed at promoting ICT as a career field for women, which includes internship placements, scholarships, mentoring opportunities and support for young women tech entrepreneurs.
In Qatar, women are outpacing their male peers in pursuing higher education and we fundamentally need their skills and talents to be part of our economy for us to continue our rapid advancements.
Technology is ultimately about improving people’s lives, and if the voices of women are not a part of shaping our digital, connected future, the whole of society suffers a disservice. As we mark WTISD 2012, we at ictQATAR celebrate the women already taking advantage of ICT to better their lives and their families’ lives, and are encouraging more young women to be leaders in the digital revolution.
