The Ministry of Culture held an event focused on Qatari women leaders in the arts and culture to mark International Women’s Day.

A panel discussion on women and culture domains, specifically focusing on Qatari women leaders in the arts and culture, was organised by the Ministry of Culture on Tuesday. The panel was organised to commemorate International Women’s Day.

Media expert Hessa Al Suwaidi moderated the conversation, which included participation from writers, consultants, and experts on the rights of people with disabilities, Drs. Hala Al Saeed and Fatima Al Maadheed.

According to Maryam Yassin Al Hammadi, director of the Ministry of Culture’s Department of Culture and Arts, Qatar observes this day by empowering women and establishing laws that protect their right to privacy while ensuring that they can fulfil their roles as mothers and wives in the community.

What is International Women’s Day?

IWD is observed on March 8 each year. In February 1909, it was first observed as National Women’s Day in the United States. Women’s rights activist Clara Zetkin proposed an international women’s day the following year at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Denmark, in an effort to give women a stronger voice to advance their demands for equal rights.

The female attendees, who represented 17 countries and included Finland’s first three female MPs, overwhelmingly approved it. The first International Women’s Day was observed in March 1911; the date was later set for March 8, 1913. The UN declared “Celebrating the past, planning for the future” as its inaugural yearly theme in 1996, the year it was first observed. The UN first celebrated it in 1975.

Many nations observe International Women’s Day as a national holiday. Women are frequently given flowers and gifts, and major cities all over the world host IWD celebrations.

Every year, there are essentially two distinct themes: “Invest in women: Accelerate progress,” this year’s official UN theme, and “#InspireInclusion,” which is this year’s campaign theme suggested by the IWD website.

UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs collaborate annually  to provide an update on the status of SDG5 implementation.

According to the most recent report, Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023, there is a “alarming” $360 billion yearly shortfall in funding for programmes that promote gender equality.