On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF) for Education, Science, and Community Development, invites members of the community to attend a special panel discussion featuring five distinguished female Qatari thought leaders on March 8th at 9am at HBKU Student Center.

Organized by HBKU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences in collaboration with Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), the event, titled “My Voice, My Future”, will celebrate the accomplishments of leading women in Qatar and explore how women can best shape their futures.

Ahead of the event, Dr. Amal Al Malki, Founding Dean of HBKU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, reflected: “The College of Humanities and Social Sciences in Hamad Bin Khalifa University was founded with a remit to be a catalyst in these fields, employing academia and research to the service of society. It gives me great pleasure to organize this special event along with Doha International Family Institute. This is the first time that we are celebrating International Women’s Day in an academic setting at HBKU.

“The focus of this event is to bring Qatari women to the forefront of the conversation and give them the space to represent themselves and their unique experiences. The event also brings together Qatari women from different professional backgrounds in an attempt to showcase the success stories and the challenges faced by them, and to state Qatari women’s aspirations and objectives for the future. Needless to say that Qatari women are citizens of this wonderful country and share the responsibility of the present as well as the future, working hand-in-hand with Qatari men.”

Noor Al Jehani Al Malki, Executive Director of DIFI and co-organizer of the event, commented: "We are delighted to collaborate with HBKU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences in celebrating International Women's Day. Driven by Qatar Vision 2030 and aiming to enhance women’s capabilities and empower them to participate fully in all spheres of life, we want to highlight the achievements and aspirations of younger women, while encouraging them to be proactive and take advantage of opportunities that could shape their futures. We hope this event encourages women to improve their own lives – ultimately also benefiting their families, communities and the nation.”

Rather than focusing on gender disparity alone, International Women’s Day celebrates the achievements women worldwide have made to date, highlighting their ongoing contributions to cultural, economic, political and social development.

Featured panelists include Dr. Kholode Al Obaidli, former Vice President of National Talent Management within the Human Resources Department at Qatar Airways, Ms. Aysha Al Mudahka, CEO of Qatar Business Incubation Center, Dr. Asma Al-Fadhala, Director of Research at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), Ms. Hanadi Al Darwish, artist and Director of the Visual Arts Center of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, and Ms. Tahani Al-Hajri, Columnist. The event will be moderated by Ms. Reem Al-Harmi, a well-known Qatari columnist, and will be followed by a question and answer session and a networking reception.

Those interested in attending the event are encouraged to RSVP at: IMDQatar@qf.org.qa.