Tajmeel Beauty Academy

I recently came across the Qatar International Beauty Academy, Tajmeel. It really grabbed my attention because I found out that it is entirely run by women, all the way from the top. It is part of the Social Development Center (SDC), which is a center that helps develop the capabilities of the members of society in Qatar by offering programs to nurture and further develop these capabilities. Within the SDC lies the Qatar International Beauty Center, Tajmeel. Tajmeel is Qatar’s first professional training center that offers internationally awarded Beauty Therapy qualifications. It’s called the ITEC qualification and it is awarded by the International Therapy Examination Council in the UK.

I decided to visit Tajmeel to see what the place is like, and I was very impressed. Here are a few pictures of the academy, inside the classrooms, and all around.



When I first heard about Tajmeel, I was very impressed to hear that such a highly qualified and highly reputed academy is entirely run by women, and especially here in the Middle East. That got me thinking about Sutherland’s theory of Power-With. Power-With involves women working together to define and achieve feminist goals. Power-With encloses three stages. 1- struggling within the constraints of an oppressive system 2- coming to realize the extent of this oppression 3- working together to confront the system that oppresses them.

Although it’s not to that extent, but the women here are oppressed to a certain degree. Middle eastern women aren’t expected to have a huge successful career. This goes back to the theory of breadwinners, and how the men are supposed to be the breadwinner of the family, while the women sit at home and take care of housework and the children. And that’s when the Power-With theory comes in. The women here started struggling with this oppressive system, so they got together and built this highly reputable and highly educational academy, to help other women like them educate themselves and make something of themselves.

Although this is probably one of the only enterprises created and run by women, but it’s a huge start. Women are beginning to take charge and not only request, but enforce change.

Who Run The World (Girls)

My title may suggest that girls have it all, success, power and of course love. However, I really just picked the title because I love Beyonce so much!




In our last Sociology class, we have discussed how families are considered as element of socialization and how gender roles can affect the stability of families and relationships. We also looked closely into the breadwinner system and discussed the elements of changes and continuity regarding the system.

Due to the rise of literacy rates amongst women and with more women entering the workforce, more women are becoming the breadwinners in their place, which has shaken up the system. Men are no longer perceived as the main provider for the household; in fact, many women began earning more than men do. Men are doing more housework than they ever had (watching a game and playing X-Box all does not count). Many couples are succumbing to the changes mainly because of the recent economic conditions. On the other hand, there is still cultural resistance and stigma towards men being the secondary earners in the household, which has discouraged many men from dating or marrying successful women.

There are two main reasons why successful women remain single, they are either too busy working and achieving their goals or they are seen as "high maintenance" by men. Men are often intimidated by women who are better than them financially and career wise. This whole "Beauty fades, but personality and brains last forever" just doesn't seem to cut it anymore. Of course, many successful men look for women are equally successful and smart in order for them to support themselves in their social and professional circles. There has been many cases where marriages have been ruined due to the wife having a more successful career, and it usually happens when the in-laws or the public interfere and comment on their situation. Most of the middle-eastern men were brought up in a house where the mom was a stay-at-home mom and the father being the breadwinner. However, many of them are pro-feminism and demand equality for women. 

What happened to "Behind every successful man is a woman"?

One thing about Middle-Eastern men, they will never let you pay the bill just because they're men.

Why are women still single then? Frankly, because some of them choose to be. What bothers in me in our society is how people contradict themselves when it's a stigma for girls to remain unmarried and for men to marry girls who are more successful (or the breadwinner) in the family. Successful, ambitious and more educated girls are then forced to stay single because they haven't found an equivalent companion.
Even though feminism is perceived as a western ideology, many westerners are highly against it simply because they're men.

Shame!

BIGGER SHAME!!