Qatar Shell has participated in the seventh Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF) as part of its mission to empower and develop women in the oil and gas industry and beyond.
The conference, which was held for the first time in Doha, aims to support and enhance the role of women in social and economic development across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. It was previously been held in Amman, Beirut, Dubai, Palestine, and London.
Qatar Shell social investment manager Lara Koujou delivered the keynote speech as part of a panel discussion entitled “Women and ICT – Skill building, Training and Trends, and the Role of Social Media.”
She highlighted how Qatar Shell is empowering women within the organisation and the wider community through the organisation’s various corporate social responsibility (CSR) and women development programmes.
Koujou said: “Strengthening the role of women in society is an important part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and is something Qatar Shell is passionate about.
“Through our social investment strategy and various other programmes, Qatar Shell is proactively reaching out to the wider community to empower and promote the training and development of young Qatari women, and to instigate the spirit of entrepreneurship within them.”
She added: “The number of women choosing entrepreneurship over traditional employment grows impressively each year. Women in the Middle East represent 50% of the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. At Qatar Shell, we remain committed to promoting opportunities for Qatari women entrepreneurs.”
As part of its continuous support to develop the private sector in Qatar, Qatar Shell has partnered with Qatar Development Bank to offer business opportunities for SMEs to join Qatar Shell’s supply chain.
This year, the organisation included business opportunities not only related to the oil and gas industry, such as catering services and managing Qatar Shell’s social media in order to encourage women entrepreneurs to participate and potentially become a supplier of choice for Qatar Shell.
Shell has established “Women’s Networks” in 20 countries, including Qatar, to build a more “gender inclusive workplace” and help women address opportunities and common issues that will facilitate their learning and
development.
Additionally, Shell has established a “Women Career Development Programme” that offers women the chance to consult with senior women leaders in Shell globally, enabling them to take the lead in planning their own successful career paths.
Qatar Shell actively identifies Qatari female talent that it prepares for future leadership roles in Shell. Currently there are more than 50 women, many of whom are Qataris, working full time onsite at the Pearl Gas to Liquids (GTL) plant, the world’s largest GTL plant delivered by Qatar
Petroleum and Qatar Shell.