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Market yourself. Grab the liMeliGht.

photography: robert altamirano

am from the Sheikha Moza generation, so dont ask me gender-stereotypical questions, Buthaina AlAnsari smiles. Holding a senior position in one of the largest private corporations in the country, Buthaina is better known for her business interests the Qatariat T&D Holding Company that undertakes training and development for women and also publishes an Arabic businesswomens magazine, Qatariat. She was recently featured on a list of 100 most powerful Arab women. While stereotypes are of no relevance to her personally, she does understand why many women still face resistance as they aspire to embrace their true potential. We want to change traditional behaviour patterns: get a degree, get a government job and get married. The new generation-the Sheikha Moza generation have to utilise the opportunities given to us, literally on a golden plate. Without her, we would have received no support. For someone unfamiliar with Qatar, this may seem to border on sycophancy. But if you have lived here long enough, and seen the strides women have made in the last decade, you will realise that what Buthaina states is the simple truth. She says of the woman who is a role model to her and thousands of her peers: She (Sheikha Moza) thinks and acts globally, but we lack that from others here. There are some who give us a lot of support. But that depends on the persons education, background, nationality and loyalty to the country.

support each other, what happens to the rest of us? The small and medium enterprises get left behind; we are forced to take on competition in a different league. We dont have the wherewithal for that. We need their support and trust. The larger corporations need to back us up.

A lAggiNg geNerAtioN
I would like to highlight and speak for the middle generation. This generation needs to put in triple the effort to succeed compared with the rest. The younger generation on the other hand, those 16 and below, they have everything: education, linguistic skills, technoawareness, says Buthaina. But those born in the 70s, they need to work very hard on themselves, to align with the economic development happening now. What Buthaina aims to achieve through her training company is just that. To develop these women who grew up on the cusp. I want to give them more exposure to the community, to get them up to speed, to shed the old abaya, and don the new. Because you have to reshape yourself to compete in the market. Looking at the Qatar Foundation and the opportunities it extends, she compares it to what was on offer when she was growing up. If you go back and review the curriculum we had to imbibe, you will realise how much of a challenge it is to be an achiever. This is probably why women stagnate at the middle-management level and dont push past that ceiling to be more prominent in higher management and on the boards of companies, she says. Having missed that boat, what that generation has to do is invest in themselves now, she points out. I feel you should build by yourself. Then again, not everyone has the ability to do so and may require a bit of hand-holding. The government has initiatives to help get you on your feet financially. But beyond that, earning peoples trust and succeeding is up to you. You, as an entrepreneur or a business owner, need to take responsibility to build your success story. Groom your walk, talk,

...shed the old abhaya, and don the new ...you have to reshape yourself to compete in the market.

recipe for success

I keep enhancing my recipe with every new and empowering interaction, says Buthaina. I am aware that what is good for this year will not be for the next. And I have to change with the times. But the basic ingredients of my recipe are... Dawn prayer Surrounding yourself with positive people Taking risks Education, education, education...

Needed: MeNtors
She accepts that local endeavours may not be up to international standards, but there has to be a starting point, and there has to be support to develop us. When I didnt get that, I looked within, to explore what my weakness was. Which revealed the lack of mentors. I need someone to guide and teach me. If you only support the well established, and the giants

QAtAri busiNesswoMAN buthAiNA Al-ANsAri is Not iN the hAbit of MiNciNg her words. iN AN iNterview with Vani SaraSwathi she eNcourAges woMeN to get out of their hoMes ANd seek solutioNs to their probleMs iNsteAd of whiNiNg their dAys AwAy.

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value of local knowledge cannot be undermined. And that knowledge is the forte of the Qataris. But large corporations have a consultant fetish, she laughs. What do the consultants do? They take information from us and make a presentation out of it. And they walk away with a million riyals in their pocket. Take something as simple as the advertisements in the magazine and on the billboards. They have got the details wrong. Small things like the abaya and the thobe are depicted wrong. This is a big joke amongst us. Alright, we probably wont appear in the ads. But we can definitely give you the inputsconsultation to get it right. Use our expertise to make your business grow.

invest in your education, in your reading and culture, she says, while stressing the importance of believing in and using the media to market oneself. She is candid about doing that herself: I market myself through workshops, conferences... We have to promote ourselves. There is no other choice. You have to squeeze yourself. Dont wait for things to be handed to you on a platter youll be stamped out if you do that. No one will know of you if you choose to stay at home and away from the limelight.

About 65 of the sMes Are owNed by woMeN, why Are they Not represeNted (oN the boArd of eNterprise QAtAr)?

iMproviNg lives
In 2010, she represented Qatar at "A New Beginning: Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship" in Washington D.C. A valuable lesson she learnt there is that entrepreneurship is not just about making money. A speaker said the meaning of entrepreneur is that you improve others lives, and that sentence really stuck in my mind. You innovate, you improve. I met so many women from across the world Malaysia, India, Indonesia who have faced incredible challenges to work for causes they believe in. These women have been through such suffering and humiliation to improve the lives of others. My attempt to improve the lives of others has resulted in Takreem and Qatariat.

scoutiNg New tAleNt

On the lack of fresh faces and spokespersons, she says she is fed up of seeing the same faces, same ideas and same names everywhere. There is no new value. No one is making an attempt to seek out new talent. You go to a workshop or conference, its all the same. Let us talk. There are so many of us with fresh ideas. There is the tendency to call only the few known names for years now. There are others willing to step up and join the ranks and take this forward. Why not give them the chance?

locAl power
Identifying areas where Qataris can really make their mark, she says whatever other skills may be imported into the country, the

off the boArd?

On the issue of the lack of women in senior management, she bemoans the fact that even

in Enterprise Qatar there are no women on the board. How come you are enhancing SMEs and still have representation of women? Why isnt Qatar Business Women Association (QBWA) not represented there? Not Aisha Alfardan, not Sheikha Al-Anood...about 65 of the SMEs are owned by women, why are they not represented? When I raised this, I was told next time am I a child? Are you trying to soothe me? Its not just Enterprise Qatar. Look at our cabinet. From two women ministers to none? There are women with qualifications and skills to take on this responsibility women like me. I am not demanding blindly or out of a feeling of entitlement. I am working for it. I am preparing for it. Buthaina says that all though other businesswomen share her frustration and anxiety they are unwilling to express themselves publicly. But that could well be because of the strong support she receives from her family. I was always frank and outspoken. If you keep quiet you will never reach your goal. There is no harm in criticising, but do it professionally. Have your research done, your story ready, your references and evidence. Then it becomes constructive. Thats what I am doing. Then you get an outcome, a solution. Buthainas husband, who is a petrochemical engineer with QP and also on the board of Qatariat, is one of her strongest allies. My husband is the first guy who believed in me. Who pushed me to achieve. He is highly educated, and supported me financially and emotionally. Its that foundation of family support that she wishes to give her nine-year-old daughter. She is stronger than me. Because I give her a chance to express her views, and argue, and speak up, without fear. I raised her like that.

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