Oman's Labour Law fully supports working women

Muscat: Oman's new Labour Law has undergone significant reforms aimed at improving the rights and protections for workers, including women who get several provisions specifically designed to enhance the working conditions for them.

The new Labour Law has significantly improved the conditions for women, providing them with leave for maternity, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and more. This represents an achievement for the Sultanate of Oman, enabling women to fulfil their roles in society.

The Sultanate of Oman has been making progress in the field of women's empowerment for many years, recognising the active role of women in achieving Oman Vision 2040. This vision includes clear strategic directions for supporting women and families, achieved through the development of various policies that enhance women's participation.

The Labour Law affirms women's equality and their enjoyment of all rights without discrimination in the same job as men.

With the introduction of the new Labour Law, working women are granted several privileges, including one hour per day to care for their child, 98 days of maternity leave and the option to take unpaid leave for one year to take care of children. During this period, the female worker is responsible for all contributions to the Social Protection Fund, including her share, the employer's share and the government's share. Employers are also mandated to provide a designated rest area in establishments with more than 25 female workers.

Dawood bin Sulaiman al Hinai, Director of the Legal Affairs Department at the Ministry of Labour, said in an interview that the Labour Law addresses working women in both the public and private sectors. The law aims to unify benefits between the two sectors, including maternity leave. If leave is not specified in the employment contract, the Labour Law applies.

Recent statistics from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) for 2023 show that the economic participation rate in the labour force for Omani women aged 15 and above in 2022 reached 32.1 per cent, compared to 27.7 per cent the previous year. 82 per cent of economically active Omani women aged 15 and above in 2022 were employed. The statistics also indicate that the distribution of working Omani women by sector in 2022 was 41 per cent in the government sector and 59 per cent in the private and civil sectors.