Doha, December 02 (QNA) – HE Chairman of the Federation of Chambers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (FGCCC) and Chairman of Qatar Chamber Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani opened Wednesday the 3rd Businesswomen Forum at Doha St. Regis Hotel in presence of a number of leading businesswomen and entrepreneurs in the GCC.
HE the Chairman expressed pride that Qatar Chamber, represented by the Qatari Businesswomen Forum, hosts the 3rd Businesswomen Forum after the success it had achieved in its first and second sessions.
He said that the organization of this event comes at a time when the GCC is witnessing a rapid growth of entrepreneurship of businesswomen, who made major steps towards building their own successful businesses, and became on the lists of the most influential women in the world.
In implementation and follow-up of the recommendations of the first and second forums, the Federation of GCC Chambers distributed in November last year a e survey for GCC women entrepreneurs in order to identify their vision about doing private business and projects, and the challenges facing them, the Chairman said.
He pointed out that Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a meeting to discuss the implementation of the recommendations launched in the 2nd Businesswomen Forum. Based on the meeting, the FGCCC will present at this meeting a proposal to establish a corporation for GCC businesswomen to provide support and assistance to small and medium enterprises within a mechanism to be developed by the Board of Directors, in order to support entrepreneurs service programs in all the GCC countries, and prepare necessary studies to develop investment opportunities, in coordination with the General Secretariat of the FGCCC and the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting.
HE the Chairman stressed the need for this forum to come out with recommendations and important decisions that will strengthen the participation of women in economic life to include their participation in the boards of directors and assume senior management positions.
He pointed out that the support of the establishment of a GCC company by businesswomen of Gulf aims to promote communication among them, and to study investment and industrial opportunities in cooperation with the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting and financial institutions for small and medium enterprises.
For her part, Qatar Chamber board member and Chairman of the Qatari Businesswomen Forum Ibtihaj Al-Ahmadani praised the continuous support of their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to the GCC women to prove their key and important role in the process of comprehensive development.
In a speech during the opening session of the 3rd Businesswomen Forum, she said that despite the successes achieved by the GCC women at various levels and areas of senior positions, ministerial portfolios and parliamentary representation and business entrepreneurships, the reality is that their contribution to development is still below the desired level.
She explained that GCC women are still unable to provide more to serve the development objectives for the Gulf States and serve their ambitions in self-realization at the same time, saying: “The place that we all aspire will not be achieved while we are looking back or while waiting for support and assistance from our governments or of the organs concerned.” She expressed hope that the 3rd Businesswomen Forum an opportunity to develop a new basis for the launch start of GCC businesswomen in both the Gulf and the global economies.
The two-day forum will focus on women entrepreneurs in the GCC with an attempt to develop a framework that looks at the relationships between factors that motivate entrepreneurship activities and entrepreneurial challenges among women entrepreneurs in these countries.
It will bring together government officials, international experts, executives from related associations and organizations, and local specialist in economy, investments and women empowerment in the GCC.
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Ministry of Education and Qatar Financial Center are among authorities that will participate in the event.
It includes three sessions titled: Challenges faced by Arab Women, Empowering Businesswomen and Motivating Businesswomen.
Al-Ahmadani underscores role of women in enhancing GCC business landscape
A female board member of Qatar Chamber has underscored the role of women in enhancing the business landscape of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) during the 3rd Gulf Businesswomen Forum, which concluded yesterday at the St Regis Hotel here.
Qatar Chamber board member Ibtihaj al-Ahmadani described the achievements of GCC women today as “outstanding,” and could serve as role models to others.
Al-Ahmadani also stressed the need to develop “tools for transparency and equality” to create a balanced economy “where social and economic goals can be achieved.”
“Our vision should be accompanied with an environment with legislations and laws to create a balanced economy…I wish this forum could serve as an opportunity to lay down a new foundation and principles that would provide a big boost for GCC women,” al-Ahmadani said.
During the forum, participants have drafted eight recommendations that aim to support women both socially and economically.
These included stimulating and encouraging the establishment of women’s economic alliances to enable entrepreneurs to be involved in major projects and emphasis on obstacles facing the business community, which should not discriminate men and women. The forum also recommended the creation of a specialist database under the umbrella of the Federation of GCC Chamber’s Secretariat for the exchange of information and experiences, and the establishment of a committee to follow up on the forum’s recommendations and seeking mechanisms of implementation.
It also called for the establishment of a training and consultancy centre to enable Gulf businesswomen to conduct business, and to encourage young businesswomen “to embrace excellence and uniqueness and not to imitate existing projects.”
A recommendation calling for the inclusion of educational programmes and lessons on business in elementary schools will be taken up with the Union Council, al-Ahmadani said.
She added that the forum also recommended the production of a specialised encyclopedia for Gulf businesswomen.
“The progress of women is measured by how much they enable other women and how they treat all gender equally. The aim of every sustainable development relies mainly on the participation of all elements of the community,” al-Ahmadani said.
She added: “If we want women to progress, we need to create a conducive environment for them and we need to come up with a new and serious initiative that can help them develop the economy…this forum must serve as a platform to create a new era for women.”
