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In 1957, 122 girls joined Al-Jaydah鈥檚 semi-official school. A little under a decade later, 13 more girls鈥� schools opened, and in total, there were about 3,176 female students鈥攁 staggering surge against the backdrop of apprehension. 

In today鈥檚 Qatar, we celebrate the remarkable strides women have made in shaping a nation that is both young and ambitious. The differences between the generations鈥攎ine, my mother鈥檚, and my grandmother鈥檚鈥攁re not just stark but also profound. Listening to my mother鈥檚 and grandmother鈥檚 childhood stories transports me to a time that seems far more distant than it truly is. When I stroll through the neighborhood where my mother and her siblings were raised, near the vibrant gold souq and Souq Waqif area, I am reminded that their era was marked by simplicity in many aspects, a significant contrast to the cosmopolitan life we live in today. 

While my mother, Noora, witnessed the early fruits of the country鈥檚 development, my grandmother, Aisha, grew up in the pre-oil era when the British Empire still had a significant role in mediating between influential local tribes, some of whom became the monarchical families ruling the independent Gulf states today.  

My grandmother does not know her exact age. Her education was limited to kuttab, Quranic school, where she learned reading and memorizing the Quran. Despite being illiterate and having limited understanding of the value of formal education, she gave birth to and raised a generation of twelve educated men and women, all of whom completed college-level education.  

In my mother鈥檚 generation, women鈥檚 access to education was not simply a result of oil-driven transformations. There was one woman who bravely defied the odds and challenged the gendered-notions that limited females鈥� roles to the private sphere: Amna Mahmoud Al-Jaydah. 

Al-Jaydah's tremendous efforts  

Al-Jaydah was a reputable teacher who ran her own kuttab. In fact, my grandmother and her sisters were students of hers.  

鈥淲e gathered in a circle in one of the neighborhoods, and we sat under a shaded area to protect against the sun. Amna Al-Jaydah used to sit on a chair and recited the verses. We repeated after her. After that, she asked each one of us to recall the verses without looking at the text. The constant repetition helped me memorize many parts of the Quran that I still remember,鈥� said my grandmother鈥檚 sister, Sharifah, who attended her first kuttab at the age of nine. 鈥淪he was a lovely teacher, but she was also strict. She wanted to make sure we all learned properly.鈥�  

To honor her legacy, Dr. Badreya Al-Ammari, an associate at Qatar University, conducted a documenting Al-Jaydah鈥檚 role in actualizing formal education for women. She revealed that the first formal school for girls in Qatar did not emerge until 1957, nearly a decade after the boys鈥� school was established. This delay can be attributed to several factors, including societal unpreparedness for the rapid economic development, the demands brought about by the discovery of oil, and the subsequent changes they would bring to the country鈥檚 gender roles. For instance, my grandfather, Ahmad, managed a family business, and in his absence, my grandmother was responsible for caring for the children, teaching them the Quran and instilling in them the values that their society upheld. 

When Al-Jaydah sought official recognition from the state for her school and proposed to expand girls鈥� education to the then leader, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Thani, she was met with resistance from both government and society at large. Many community members were apprehensive about the impact that formal schooling might have on what was considered the sacred role of women. Similarly, the leader was concerned about potential backlash from his people. However, Al-Jaydah was not deterred by their skepticism and suspicion, and she continued to make her case to Sheikh Ahmad, who had the power to officially change course.  

The first school for girls  

In 1957, her perseverance finally paid off when her kuttab was officially recognized as the Doha Primary School for Girls. Soon after, other schools for girls opened, and the number quickly soared.  

As expected, however, the formal transition to schooling did not mitigate societal opposition. Despite support from the head of state, suspicion over the efficacy of girls鈥� education persisted. In some areas, parents sent people to girls鈥� schools to report exactly what was being taught.  

Given the extent of resistance, the government opted to classify girls鈥� schools under a provisional category, allowing them to close the schools if there was ever a need. Notably, the government鈥檚 lack of definitive stance showcases the power that societal members had over the nation-state during its early phases of establishment.  

Although some girls dropped out due to continued resistance, others remained to complete their education. In fact, in 1957, 122 girls joined Al-Jaydah鈥檚 semi-official school. A little under a decade later, 13 more girls鈥� schools opened, and in total, there were about 3,176 female students鈥攁 staggering surge against the backdrop of apprehension.  

Some of those who completed their secondary education enrolled at then newly founded Qatar University, while others traveled abroad to Arab or Western countries to begin their university studies.  

Although their numbers were modest in the beginning, the enrollment of women in a variety of professional fields was crucial to challenge outdated beliefs that limited women鈥檚 professional opportunities and to normalize their participation over time. Without their endurance, women today might still be fighting to become engineers, doctors, or pilots.  

As women in Qatar continue to compete alongside men in various sectors and take over leadership positions, they honor the legacy of Qatar鈥檚 first female teacher, Amna Mahmoud Al-Jaydah. It is difficult to imagine how girls鈥� education would have commenced without Al-Jaydah. Her bravery is a testament to how a woman at the grassroots level can have everlasting impact on societal norms and alter the course of future generations.  

The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not express the official position of the 浪花直播 Center.