The Qatari Businesswomen Association met with H.E Mrs. Mariam Mwinyi, the First Lady of Zanzibar. This was during the official visit of H.E. Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar, to participate in the third edition of the Qatar Economic Forum 2023. The meeting was attended by H.E. the Ambassador Dr. Fatima Mohamed Rajab, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation for East Africa, Mrs. Patricia Kiswaga, First Secretary at the Embassy of Tanzania in Qatar, Dr. Ellen MKondya Senkoro, First Lady’s Office Director and from the Qatari Businesswomen Association, HE Mrs. Aisha Alfardan, QBWA Vice-Chairman attended the meeting and from QBWA Board Mrs. Awatef Al Dafaa, H.E. Sheikha Al-Anood bint Faisal Al-Thani, Mrs. Amal Al Aathem, Mrs. Mishael Al Ansari, in addition to Mrs. Jiskala Khalayli, QBWA Executive Director.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mrs. Aisha Al-Fardan, QBWA Vice Chairman, welcomed the first lady and all the meeting participants, stressing on the importance of this meeting, she also confirmed QBWA keenness to strengthen the ties between women in the two countries as well as the importance of discussing ways to support and develop these ties, highlighting the important role that women play in all political, economic and social fields, to improve their society and achieve sustainable development. She added, “We at the Qatari Businesswomen Association are constantly keen to create a major link between businesswomen in particular and women in general around the world to unify efforts and create new opportunities for everyone.”
For her part, Her Excellency Mrs. Mariam Mwinyi, First Lady of Zanzibar, expressed her happiness for having this meeting with the Qatari Businesswomen Association, as it provides an opportunity for the two parties to discuss topics of common concern. H.E. also confirmed her interest in addressing women’s and children’s issues and the challenges they face in Zanzibar and ways to address these challenges through the Zanzibar Maisha Bora Foundation (ZMBF), which was established by the First Lady as a non-profit organization focused on improving the quality of life for the people of Zanzibar and aims at raising awareness, mobilize public participation and influence on Policies to support women, children and youth in Zanzibar.
Emphasizing in her discussion about Zanzibar’s strong commitment to ensure the best health system for all its citizens and the government’s interest in providing quality health care services, as it is committed to promoting and developing these services at all levels of the health care system for the people of this beautiful island. The First Lady added that she has benefited from 20 years of experience in the field of public health to establish this foundation that addresses key issues and seeks to make a positive impact on the lives of the local community.
During the meeting, Her Excellency extended an invitation to QBWA to visit Zanzibar and learn about the investment opportunities and discuss projects, ideas and proposals to improve the quality of life for women on the island, which in return is reflected in society as a whole and brings added value to the national economy.
