Qatari Kilimanjaro climber: We’re past gender segregation

Six women made history this month after becoming the first female Qataris to successfully summit the world’s tallest free-standing mountain in a bid to raise money for Gaza.

They and six other Qatari and expat male climbers raised some QR2 million during the campaign to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, money that will go toward Gaza’s education system under Reach out to Asia (ROTA).

During a press conference yesterday, the climbers’ discussed their experiences, focusing on the challenges they faced and what the women in particular hoped people would take away from their accomplishment.

The team also included two assistants and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani, who was the first Qatari to climb and raise the country’s flag at Mount Everest’s peak and has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro twice.

The climbers’ names are: Maryam Al Thani, Asma Al Thani, Noor Al Thani, Bashaer Al Mulla, Dana Al-Anzy, Aisha Al-Naama, Mohammed Al-Naama, Yacoub Alyacoub, Nasser Bin Marzook, Bader Elmadani, Mohammed Fakhro and Yazan Abughaida.

Female empowerment

Sheikh “Moe” Al Thani, who led the climb, closed his speech by posing a question to the female Qatari climbers, saying: “Girls, what do you have to say to other Qatari girls to help push and motivate them to do something like this?”

Climber Dana Al-Anzy, a 19 year-old student at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and member of ROTA’s Youth Advisory board, responded on behalf of the women, saying: “The fact that we’re the first Qatari females says a lot about our expectations. The support really kept us going. There was support from society that we were unaware of and it empowered us and we (climbers) all empowered each other. Yes, we did have people who discouraged us too and we did suffer from that. We also suffered physically and mentally. It was tough. But it was the real support we had and our determination that kept us going.”

Original article by Elysia Windrum

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Qatari Kilimanjaro climber: We’re past gender segregation