Women power got the sweeping canvas that it deserves at a thought-stirring event organised by the Qatar Together youth initiative and the Qatar Professional Women’s Network (QPWN) at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) auditorium last week.
Qatar Together, a local youth initiative aimed at enhancing co-operation and contributing to encouraging young people to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030, and QPWN, an informal networking group for Qatari and expatriate professional women, joined hands to celebrate #WeCanDoIt, an initiative of WEORITU, by showcasing a presentation about the #WeCanDoIt project and conducting an interesting panel discussion featuring talented and successful women of Qatar.
WEORITU is an organisation that aims to raise awareness about the accomplished women of the Gulf region and bring the community closer. An independent youth initiative from the GCC focused on promoting positivity through various mediums of art with a global vision, WEORITU aims to showcase the work of artistes who are creating content that promotes positivity.
The purpose of WEORITU’s #WeCanDoIt project is to raise awareness about accomplished women in the GCC and initiate a dialogue in the community. “We aim to spark a global movement of women voicing their positive advice to help inspire future generations and to create encouraging vibes around the globe using the hashtag #WeCanDoIt,” WEORITU says. The campaign was globally released on November 14, last year, and the launch event took place at Shaheed Park in Kuwait City.
The campaign’s launch film, which was screened to a rousing response by the audience, is an elaborate exercise in relaying the voices and stories of successful women around the gulf. To get women from the Middle East united to say #WeCanDoIt, the team interviewed more than 130 women in six GCC countries, including Qatar, of course, over the course of three months. Even their use of symbolism is rather modern – a paintbrush that symbolises “a torch for women around the world to work together in creating the future”.
The questions that precede the introduction to the film give us a good idea of what it’s about – What do you know about achievements of Arabian Gulf Women? Where have they reached? Is she truly capable? And are you an empowering agent for women?
The powerful documentary – which is also available on YouTube – brings to light the collective conviction of these women, from across the region, “to bring about positive change in their communities, their views on gender equity and the role Arab women play for national progress and development”. They speak of their stories, struggles, joys, challenges, and success, and in it are embedded lessons for the new generation.
“When I started my education, there was no education for girls in Saudi Arabia. When schools opened in Saudi Arabia, the first principal of the school had to be a local girl. I was 13 when I became a principal of a school,” says one woman, “No-one can take your education away from you. It is the tool to achieve your dreams.” Another woman says, “Education is not a certificate. If education does not change someone’s way of thinking, behaviour and productivity for the better, then the person did not learn.” Launched as a crowdfunded campaign on Indiegogo with an aim to include the voices of women from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, #WeCanDoIt sure has reached out to thousands thus far.
Following the screening, a panel discussion featuring successful women professionals from various business sectors in Qatar was held. Helming the show was Maryam Alsubaiey, one of the founding members of Qatar Together and also a participant in #WeCanDoIt campaign, while the panel comprised CEO of Doha Film Institute Fatma al-Remaihi, clinical psychologist Ameera al-Ishaq, TV presenter Hanan al-Emadi and fashion designer and social entrepreneur Khadeeja Buheleka.
Peppered with emotional outpourings and light moments, the women shared stories about their careers, how they followed their passion in the face of pressures and expectations of society or family, their dedication towards contributing to Qatar’s progress, and “their hopes from the youth and the next generation”.
Al-Ishaq, for instance, spoke about how, in 2003, when she took up psychology, she was shocked to find how the subject of psychology was not even a part of discussion in society. “I would think how can I raise awareness about mental health? We need to shed light on the matter. Socrates said – Know yourself. The key is to not be afraid of psychology or psychologists. Everybody gets tired. Everybody needs help sometime. This work revives the lives of individuals who need help,” she explained.
Al-Remaihi pointed out how this conversation about “We can do it” is “very important and timely”. “Many a time, the woman is asked to sacrifice something. But we can’t. On the contrary, life is complete when I can help myself and help the society I live in.”
Interestingly, Qatar Together collaborated with QPWN for the first time so as to attract non-Arabic speakers to the event “in order to engage in a discussion with expatriates about women in the Arabian Gulf”.