It was a night of glitz and glamour at the much-anticipated Women of Change awards held recently at the Westin Doha Hotel & Spa. The first-of-its kind event was well attended by over 200 women and men from different industries, sectors and nationalities. The awards ceremony showcased excellence across twenty categories and honoured outstanding women and changemakers in the community, who lead, inspire, and empower herself and others to be agents of change.
The awards celebrated various categories like arts and culture, innovation, business, sports, social media, health and wellness, diversity, and inclusion. The youth were also well represented with a special segment devoted solely for recognising merit and calibre among the youngsters in Qatar.
The awards ceremony was an initiative of the Doha Women Forum, and was organized by the newly established Wasl Events & Marketing and has been supported by platinum sponsors, NBK Auto and She’s Mercedes, Gold Sponsors Blue Salon and Naseem Healthcare, along with media partners Qatar Living, ILoveQatar, Marhaba and Whats Up Doha.
The speakers of the day included the founder of Beehive Recycling Sarah Al Dorani, Naseem Healthcare orthopaedic surgeon Dr Divya Geeta, and Qatar Youth Ambassador from The Youth Assembly Dana Al Anzy. The evening was hosted by journalists and media personalities Narges Raiss and Sara Khairat.
Doha Women Forum and The Women of Change Founder Conchita Ponce said, “I was delighted by the response the Women of Change initiative received from the community. That serves as a collaboration of the need for women to be recognised by the society for their tireless efforts within their family or in the community. Acknowledging and bringing out the work of some of the women will not only motivate them to do more but also serve as an inspiration and drive for other women. We hope that, in time, the Women of Change awards will acknowledge, appreciate, and motivate every woman in Qatar and beyond, to achieve more and reach greater heights.”
The awardee for the Women of Change Business Leader Award, Sheikha Mayes Bint Hamad Al Thani said, “Businesswomen in Qatar play an important and leading role in a variety of sectors in the Qatari economy ranging from finance to hospitality, to healthcare, to sports, and many other sectors. I was thankful to partake in this event and to represent not only myself, but also the female business community in Qatar.”
HE Sheikh Faleh bin Nawaf bin Nasser Al Thani, Managing Director of the automotive division at Nasser Bin Khaled and Sons Group said, “Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles and Mercedes-Benz share common values to empower women in various fields of life and work. We have a long legacy in Qatar in supporting women in their professional careers and equipping them with the right tools to play their roles in the best way. We thank Doha Women Forum for this important initiative which truly appreciates women and their achievements in our community.”
The event was one of the many successes of the Doha Women Forum, organised as part of their continuing efforts to bring gender parity in the community for the welfare of women and youth.
Below is the list of all the awardees in the different categories.
| # | Women of Change Award Category | Awardee |
| 1 | Arts & Culture | Fatima Al Sharshani |
| 2 | Business Leader | Sheikha Mayes Bint Al Thani |
| 3 | Creativity – Engineering | Eng. Muneera Al-Shriem |
| 4 | Diversity & Inclusion | What’s Up Doha |
| 5 | Dynamic – Business | Reem Al-Sowaidi |
| 6 | Economic Empowerment | Malu Marsault |
| 7 | Endurance – Sports | Lolwa Al Marri |
| 8 | Health & Wellness | Jawaher Al-Fardan |
| 9 | Influencer | Fathea Salama |
| 10 | Innovation – Technology | Dr. Isra Yousef Marei |
| 11 | Inspire Award | Layla Saad |
| 12 | Selfless – Community | Wardah Mamukoya |
| 13 | Social Impact | Shehar Bano |
| 14 | Sustainability | Torba Store |
| 15 | Voice | Dr. Amal Mohammed Al Malki |
| 16 | Young Entrepreneurship | Eman Al Obaide |
| 17 | Young Achiever | Aisha Almaadeed |
| 18 | Young Ambassador | Nawaal Akram |
| 19 | Young Innovation | Eman Abdulla Alhamad |
| 20 | Youth Advocacy | Education Above All |
For more details on the event, visit: thewomenofchange.com