HE Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani underlined Wednesday that the time has come to change the work system that does not meet the needs and aspirations of women who are striving to achieve a balance between their professional and family duties.

HE Sheikha Hind participated in a session entitled "A Bold Agenda for Female Leadership" in the frameworks of Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg, alongside Hillary Rodham Clinton, the 67th Secretary of State of the United States of America.

Addressing the session, HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani said that the failure in changing the work system frameworks in a way that is commensurate with the role and needs of women, may disrupt the societies in the future.

The session discussed how the coronavirus pandemic had a greater impact on women compared to men, in light of the increasing burden of paid work on the one hand, and unpaid care work on the other, in addition to the lack of job opportunities available to them. The session also shed light on the lessons learned from the pandemic on education, and the role of youth in leading global efforts to combat climate change.

HE Sheikha Hind said that women all over the world do not have the capabilities they had one year ago to take care of their children, which indicates that the current global work system does not meet the lifestyle of women, and it was the case with the system that preceded it.

HE Sheikha Hind called on government and non-government organizations, the governments and the private sector to consider the role they can have in changing the current frameworks in the world because they do not meet the aspirations, needs and lifestyles of women.

She noted that there are still many issues discussed constantly such as the gender pay gap and equality of opportunity, which means that a solution has not been reached yet, while the solution lies in working to take into account the different role of women from men, and to achieve the necessary flexibility and realize the importance of women's participation in the lives of their children while having an active and meaningful role. The failure to do so could disrupt the societies in the future, and now is the time to make the change.

HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani noted the number of women holding a bachelor's degree in the world, indicating that this reflects the active role that the female component will assume in the labor sector, and the role they will have in trying to reformulate the current work system.

On the other hand, HE Sheikha Hind stressed the importance of engaging parents in the educational process of their children, noting that schools should not be seen as institutions that exclude the role of the family, rather they should be integrated with the family life; and it is necessary for the parents to realize the level of their children's performance in education and to be a part of the society they belong to, otherwise, it will negatively affect children and parents alike.

HE Sheikha Hind also highlighted the need for addressing the imbalance of values in society in order to tackle global challenges such as climate change, stressing the importance of realizing the real goals and the protection of the society and the planet.

For her part, Hillary Clinton said that many of the jobs that were previously occupied by women are no longer exist, or have been changed, because of the pandemic. "The bottom line is that the pandemic has certainly affected everyone and all over the world, wherever they are, but its effects have been reflected on women disproportionately," she stressed.

She noted the economic impacts resulted by the pandemic, and the increase in the responsibilities and duties of care for women. This burden, along with all the other challenges that women have had to face, has had many other repercussions. Therefore, while seeking to confront this pandemic, governments, businesses and non-profit organizations must consider and recognize the burdens on women.

Clinton indicated that economies and societies make it very difficult for individuals to manage and secure the necessities of life, stressing the need to know how to better organize the societies and economies so that individuals in the work sector, especially women, have the opportunity to realize their aspirations.

(QNA)