A Step Forward for Women in Oman
Omani women have been at the forefront in building up the nation of Oman for over the past 50 years of the blessed Renaissance .Their passion for seeing the nation grow and prosper in various fields has been vital in the development of the country.
As per the Basic Statute of State and the Sultanate joining the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW) in 2005, the country has gone to achieve international commendation for its progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals, in particular SDG 5-Gender Equality.
After the Civil Associations Law and the civil association formation system came into power, based on Royal Decree No.14/2000 and the Ministerial Decree No.150/2000, various civil society organizations came into being and the Omani Women’s Association was established in the early 1970’s.
With headquarters located in the Wilayat of Bowshar, it was established as per Ministerial Decision No. 32/84 on 19/2/1972 as a social, cultural and voluntary organization to empower Omani women in various areas including gaining necessary life skills for personal development, providing job opportunities and exchanging ideas and opinions necessary for the betterment of their wellbeing. The organization also seeks to expand the work base of voluntary work across the 11 governates of Oman, to further enable more women to take advantage of the various opportunities available to them. Spread across the Sultanate, these 65 branches serve as training centers for women, as rural women development centers and promote women to take up government roles, raise awareness about elections and encourage them to set up businesses.
Their achievements in various fields of education, healthcare and economic development have only been strengthened since the designation of the Omani Women’s Day by the Late Sultan Qaboos Bin Said at the conclusion of a symposium held at Saih al Makarim on 17 October 2009.
Various success stories of Omani women leading the way and making strides in technology, medicine and sports have impacted the rest of their sisters in and around the world.
Women like Dr.Mona bint Mohammed al Habsi, worked as a team member of Japanese Prof. Tasuku Hugo whose research focused on combating cancer by motivating the immune system and who later went on to receive the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2018.
Another example is that of Muscat born Fatma Al-Nabhani, Middle East’s first female professional tennis player who won ten singles titles and 13 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit.
These Omani women along with the combined efforts of the country, have highlighted Oman once again as a nation progressing steadily towards sustainable development and one that values women’s participation towards Oman’s 2040 vision, in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality).
For a downloadable copy:SDG5-1
