Twenty-five female community leaders completed the three-day workshop on women empowerment led by the female members of the Filipino organisation Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon Qatar (BMKQ) recently.
The event was held in cooperation with Bayanihan Qatar, a federation of more than 30 community groups mainly from the grassroots sector, and the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), a global organisation with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and members in more than 100 countries.
The workshop was organised by the BMKQ Women in line with BMKQ’s aim of empowering women leaders in the construction and allied sectors.
Due to the pandemic, the workshop was conducted in the new normal setting wherein trainers and guest speakers had to use teleconferencing technology while the participants are gathered in the training venue in accordance with health protocol. The training participants come from diverse sectors, including construction and hospitality, medical services and domestic service.
The first day of the training was devoted to discussion on gender sensitivity while the second day focused on the topic of gender-based violence, particularly on ILO Convention 190 Violence and Harassment in the workplace.
The last day of the workshop focused on honing the leadership skills of the participants.
Resulting from the discussions during the training activities, the participants agreed on action plans directed towards an increased number of women participating and leading in the organisation and advocacy for violence- and harassment-free workplaces.
The awarding of certificates was led by Philippine Labour Attaché to Qatar David Des Dicang. In his message on the occasion, Dicang stressed the significance of the continuing education and training programme of BMKQ and BWI for migrant workers.
The ceremony also featured the oath taking by the newly-elected officers of BMKQ and Bayanihan Qatar for the year 2020 to 2021. It also served as the group’s celebration of Qatar National Day and the International Migrants Day.
This article was also published on Qatar Tribune, written by Ailyn Agonia