Women are Contributors to Development (Women in Leadership)
From 2002 onwards, Souad has been leading her team of engineers to establish the Water Resources Information Center in the Ministry.
©FAO/2021: Souad Obeid, The Head of the Water Resources Information Centre in Damascus.
Throughout history, the central role of women in society has ensured the stability, progress and long-term development of nations. Today, women in leadership positions are doing extraordinary work and have proven to be successful leaders on many levels, particularly in responding to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In Syria, the war placed a heavy burden on women, where hundreds of thousands have suddenly found themselves refugees, internally-displaced and in many cases have become the head of their households without any stable form of income. Due to Covid-19, new barriers have emerged across the world; women continue to face domestic violence, the burden of unpaid care duties, unemployment and poverty. However, there are bright examples of women inspiring other women to change for balance.
The Head of the Water Resources Information Centre in Damascus, Souad Obeid, 50 years old, takes us through her long years of career experience and the challenges she faced during the past 25 years of work. Souad, who began working after completing her studies, was the only female worker amongst her colleagues at the Ministry of Water Resources; within a short period, and with an archive full of researches and academic papers, Souad became an active member and a decision maker in her workplace.
“We live in a society where women are supposed to act differently to men, and so when we do prove ourselves, mainly in the workforce, it becomes remarkable,” expressed Souad.