Baku, November 22 (QNA) - The State of Qatar participated in the international conference on advancing the rights and empowerment of women in Baku, Azerbaijan on Nov. 20-21, represented with a delegation from the Ministry of Social Development and Family headed by Assistant Undersecretary for Social Development Affairs Fahd Mohammed Al Khayarin.
In his remarks during the conference, Assistant Undersecretary for Social Development Affairs Fahd Mohammed Al Khayarin underscored that the State of Qatar supports just women's causes.
He indicated that the State of Qatar continues with confident and rapid steps to achieve its National Vision 2030, and to take the necessary measures to enhance women's participation in public life and empower them economically, socially, and politically, and to continue efforts aimed at promoting and protecting women's rights and empowerment.
He pointed out that, thanks to these efforts, Qatari women were able to assume a leadership role in all aspects of public life, held ministerial and leadership positions, participated with distinction in the diplomatic corps and the judiciary, assumed senior administrative positions in the sectors of education, health, energy, business, technology, social development and family, and became effective partners in the Shura Council and the Central Municipal Council.
He added that the participation rate of Qatari women in the labor market reached around 37 percent for women in the age group 25-29 years, and around 49 percent for the age group 30-34 years, in addition to the rate of women's representation in decision-making positions reached 30 percent.
The activity of Qatari businesswomen has witnessed remarkable development in recent times, driven by an increase in their numbers, official encouragement, government facilities, and incentives whose rationale is "supporting Qatari women" in the fields of industrial investments, banking, tourism and trade, which represents a shift in the traditional investment patterns for women in Qatar. An annual award was created for businesswomen, awarded to the businesswoman who has contributed most to Qatari society, the national economy, and ensuring the promotion of women's human rights. In addition, the State of Qatar made an initiative to highlight the products of productive families as a Qatari product of creative and productive families, as well as an award for productive families.
At the international level, the State of Qatar has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and international agreements related to social affairs, the most important of which are the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The State of Qatar has also ratified all Arab and Gulf agreements related to women. (QNA)