Nation celebrates achievements of women

Muscat: The Sultanate celebrates the Omani Women's Day, which falls on October 17 every year, amid a number of achievements in various fields.

The day was set after the recommendations of the Omani Women Symposium, held in Saih Al Makarem in Suhar in 2009.

Omani women, thanks to the noble directives and generous care of His Majesty the late Sultan Qaboos, have achieved many accomplishments. The late Sultan always emphasised that women are a fundamental partner in development and that development can only be achieved by completing its two pillars, the man and the woman.

In the first speech after taking power, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik lauded the great role played by women in building the nation, saying “partnership of citizens in making the country's present and future is a fundamental pillar of national work, and we are keen to ensure that women enjoy their rights guaranteed by law and work side by side with men in various fields in the service of their homeland" .

According to statistics by the National Center for Statistics and Information, female illiteracy rates decreased from 12.6 in 2013 to 8.4 in 2017.  The percentage of female graduates out of the total number of higher education institutions graduates in 2016 was 59.3 per cent.

Omani women occupied 21 per cent of administrative jobs in the civil service in 2017. The percentage of females in the government sector stood at 41 per cent in 2017, while in the private sector it was 46 per cent, and in crafts 88 per cent.

In addition to her social role as a mother and housewife watching over generations, Omani women have exercised her full role in serving her homeland, as she has took part in social, political, cultural and all sectors in the Sultanate without exception.

With regard to the presence of women in public life, the percentage of women members in the Oman Council reached 9 per cent in the period from 2015 and 2019; 17 per cent in the State Council and 1 per cent in the Shura Council. Women in municipal councils from 2016-2020 accounted for 3.4 per cent while women voters in municipal elections was 46% during the same period.

Sustainable development goals represent one of the governing factors for the preparation of the ninth five-year plan 2016-2020 for the Sultanate. The plan stipulated keeping pace with developments in international charters, foremost of which is the "2030 Agenda for achieving sustainable development",. The Ministry of Social Development works to include sustainable development goals and objectives within its plans and programs, especially the fifth goal concerned with "achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls", and other related goals.

The Omani Women's Associations are among the institutions that support efforts exerted in the field of empowering women. Their programs aim at integrating women into society and giving them an effective role in voluntary social work. They also empower women socially. The number of these associations increased from 60 associations in 2013 to 64 until the end of 2018 across the governorates.

In fact, it was not easy for Omani women to reach their current status, whether in terms of education or in the field of public participation, as they faced many challenges despite the support of the political will. Omani society entered the era of civilization in a relatively short time, and it was governed by many customs and traditions that is conservative towards allowing women to leave their homes and work with men. However, due to their ambition and determination in the face of social obstacles and with the constant support of the government, which dealt with them cautiously and gradually, Omani women were able to register many achievements. There is no doubt that Omani women still have many aspirations and hopes to achieve, as the future looks promising.