SOHAR: Omani women participate in building the nation in various fields of life; an example of a model woman, who preserves the genuine Arab customs and traditions. Women in the Sultanate, whether working in urban or rural areas, have a great deal of interest through the programmes offered to them. Perhaps the remarkable contributions made by rural women in the various agricultural activities, as well as animal husbandry and other related works, left no room for doubt.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, along with the other ministries, have made great contributions to rural women. They have given them a special attention through the provision of various programmes to empowering women. These programmes, whether in agricultural or animal work or other projects, such as craftwork, have enabled women to be economically and professionally promoted.
Women have contributed in their work by adding value to the local product and have played a key role in achieving food security.
These programmes have also contributed to improving lives of some Omani families and finding a source of livelihood that will guarantee them a decent living in this country, which deserves a lot of work to preserve their achievements.
In order to empower rural women in various fields, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has adopted many ideas that will enhance the status of rural women through awareness and educational campaigns.
The ministry adopted many ideas that will enhance the status of rural women through awareness campaigns and awareness-raising campaigns.
Says Khalida bint Saleh al Shizawe, Head of Rural Women’s Department, in the Governorates of North and South Al Batinah: The Rural Women’s Department of the Directorate-General of Agriculture and Livestock in Al Batinah Governorates has many contributions related to rural women.
In 2017, it carried out a number of activities and programmes related to rural women, including the distribution of 28 incubators, as part of the programme for the introduction of modern technologies in animal production, 28 guiding Mango fields, and 33 guiding lemon fields within the framework of improving production of fruits that aim at increasing its production.
In the field of training and guidance, 15 women from the category of low income and social security were trained, in cooperation with the Directorate-General for Social Development in the Governorates of North and South Al Batinah in various fields, including honey bee breeding and poultry farming.
She told ONA that the daily work of the Rural Women’s Department is to provide technical information and guidance, as well as following-up programmes implemented through engineers, technicians and rural women’s guides in rural development departments, and to meet the demands of rural women for all related to agricultural and animal work.
In 2017, the Department carried out 381 field visits to rural women’s programmes and projects in the Governorates of Al Batinah, in addition to 144 events for school students and female employees at public and private sectors, as well as housewives who do some work related to rural women in their homes.
She added that these visits are still being paid. It is noteworthy that rural women make up 43 per cent of the agricultural labour force.
According to the results of the agricultural census in the Sultanate in 2012-2013, the number of females working in the Governorates of North and South Al Batinah reached 4,712 out of 35,196 the total number of agricultural labourers in the two governorates.
Women represent approximately 13 per cent of the total workers in the agricultural and livestock sector in the Governorates of Al Batinah.
— ONA
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