“I’m not weak”: Qatari women lose the first legislative election

Voters did not choose 26 female Who is running QatarThe first legislative elections held on Saturday disappointed candidates who wanted to speak out for women and other Qataris in the political process of the Gulf monarchy.

The vote is for 30 members of the 45-seat advisor Shura Committee The Emir will continue to appoint the remaining 15 members of the institution, who can approve a limited range of policies for this small and wealthy country, which bans political parties.

“It is not Qatar’s vision to own the owner,” said 59-year-old Aisha Hamam al-Jasim, a nursing manager operating in the Markhiya district of Doha.She urged Qatari women to start “expressing their faith” and vote for strong Female candidate in the future.

“This is the first time in Qatar, this is an opportunity to participate in politics,” she said when people began to enter the polls earlier on Saturday.

Jasim, like other female candidates, said she has met some men who think women shouldn’t run for election. She emphasized her administrative skills and focused on policy priorities such as health, youth employment and retirement.

“I just said: I am strong, I am capable. I think I am as healthy as a man… If you want to see me weak, it depends on you, but I am not weak,” she said. Polling stations with different entrances.

Although Qatar has reformed women’s rights in recent years, including allowing women to obtain driving licenses independently, it has been criticized by rights groups due to issues such as the guardianship system, in which women need male permits to get married, travel, and obtain reproductive health care. . .

Human Rights Watch In March of this year, it was stated that when a woman tweeted about Qatar’s guardianship system through an anonymous account in 2019, the account was closed within 24 hours after a woman was subpoenaed by a cyber security officer.

Naima Abdulwahab al-Mutaawa’a is a candidate and staff member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her elderly mother came to vote for her. She wanted to urge the establishment of an advocacy agency for women and children.

Several female candidates have been seeking to improve the integration of the children of female citizens married to foreigners into Qatari society. These foreigners, like other Gulf countries, cannot pass on Qatari nationality to their children.

There is a female minister in Qatar: the Minister of Public Health Hanan Mohamed Kuwari.

Although Jassim did not advocate the issuance of a passport, Lena Dafa, also a candidate, called for full citizenship to be provided to children under such circumstances.

The writer Dafa does not think that those who oppose women in the Shura Committee are obstacles, because the ruling Emir—and the law—supports women’s participation.

“The law gives me this right…I don’t care what radical people say about it,” she said, adding that women are best suited to discuss their problems.

Al-Maha al-Majid, a 34-year-old industrial engineer, participated in the election with her policy to change perceptions.

“In order to persuade men (vote for women), yes, we may need to put in work or extra effort…I am willing to put in extra effort in order to enter and convince this society that women can do this,” she said .

For some people, attitudes are difficult to shake.

Sabaan Al Jassim, a 65-year-old male candidate, supports women’s participation in the election, but said that their main role is still the family.

“They are here, with fingerprints, voting rights and voice… but the most important thing is at home, taking care of their children and family,” he said at the polling station where Jasim and Mutawa were. a Sitting in the room opposite him.