Tuesday 07 / May / 2024
Muscat: Omani women are breaking the glass ceiling with their efforts and due care taken by the government in the Sultanate of Oman. They are creating benchmarks in literary, medicine, educational and scientific fields through their sincere efforts.
Omani women have received special care since the beginning of the blessed renaissance which led to their advancement in every field and helped them become equal partners in the progress of the Sultanate of Oman. With due care received from the blessed renaissance and favourable government policies, they have made remarkable contributions in scientific fields and got international recognition as scientists and innovators.
“Omani Woman Day” which falls on 17 October, reflects their achievements in different fields and also gives them incentives to exert more efforts for the nation building process. During the era of renewed renaissance of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Omani women are receiving continuous support through the enactment of new laws and regulations.
The keenness of His Majesty the Sultan to guarantee them freedom and rights led to the involvement of Omani women in development, and are creating an inspiring reality for a bright and sustainable future at various levels.
Her Highness the Honourable Lady Assayida Ahd Abdullah Hamed Al Busaidi, Spouse of the Sultan of His Majesty the Sultan, has praised the efforts made by Omani women in the Sultanate of Oman to build, develop and support their family and their effective contributions to the betterment of social and national lives.
Today, Omani women through her right of education are contributing in the decision-making process and carrying out duty towards their family and society.
Women are occupying top positions in many sectors and are also important ministers in the Council of Ministers. They are present in both Shura and State Councils. Many are appointed in the diplomatic corps and carry the message of peace of the Sultanate of Oman in different parts of the world. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information for the year 2021, educated Omani women at the Diploma level were 313,745, while 53,232 had Higher Diploma degrees and 152,422 had Bachelor and above degrees.
The number of women working in the public sector was 89,164, and in the private, family and domestic sectors were 126,737 while the number of women associations was 64 with 8,483 members. However, the number of those who benefited from social security was 86,633 i.e. equivalent to 67% of the total beneficiaries.
Omani poet Aisha Al Saifi won the award for ‘The Prince of Poets’ in its tenth season, and she became the first woman to get this honour in the field of poetry at Arab level.
Omani innovator Somya Said Al Siyabia, bagged first prize in the programme of ‘Sciences Stars’, one of the most famous Real TV programmes organised by the Qatar Foundation. She was not only the first Omani woman, but also the first Arab woman to win the title. She was awarded for her innovative work in the environmental field Bioanalysis of microplastics’ by a new method using nanotechnology.
Omani Poet Badriya Al Badri won the first place in the category of eloquent poetry for her title ‘A Lamp of Laurel’ in the fifth edition of the Katara Prize under the title ‘Beautifying Poetry with the Good of Human Beings’. She was the first poet to win this title in the history of the prize.
Also, Omani women are occupying leading positions in many fields at various levels.
They have supervised many researches, scientific and innovative projects which reflect their efforts in building Oman.
In the medical field, Dr. Maha Zakariya Al Riyami, Assistant Professor at the Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, has received the award of “L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science” in recognition of her scientific research in the field of diabetes.
Dr. Amira Saeed Al-Kharousi, Associate Professor at the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, was selected among the distinctive young scientists of the World Academy of Sciences “TWAS 2022-2027”.
Dr. Maha Mubarak Al-Khadhouri, associate professor at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, won the award for the best scientific paper presented at the American Association of Endocrinology Societies in the Middle East and North Africa 2022. -With ONA inputs
