Outer resilience, inner strength – what makes a partnership work today

T-Mag Wednesday 10/March/2021 20:55 PM
By: Gautam Viswanathan
Outer resilience, inner strength – what makes a partnership work today

As we celebrated International Women’s Day this week, four women in Oman share their thoughts on the role of women in today’s world, how both genders need to support each other to achieve success, and teaching the next generation the importance of respect.

Nadhira Al Harthy, Omani mountaineer
What’s it like to be a woman in the modern world?
Women are often put under the most critical lens and on the highest pedestals. We have to always watch the way we behave and present ourselves to the world in order to protect ourselves from judgment and mistreatment.
What are the unique skills women bring to any situation?
For the longest time, I believe our voices around the world were silenced. Now that we have the opportunity to share our opinions and thoughts, I believe many women have a lot of interesting things to say.
What advice would you give to people about respecting women today?
Teaching people to respect women, I would say, starts with the newer generations. Let’s put the past in the past and work on instilling these values in our children, and teaching them that women deserve respect.

Anuya Phule, clinical psychotherapist, Al Hatat Polyclinic
What’s it like to be a woman in the modern world?

Being a woman is about making your presence felt. In different parts of the world, being a woman in these modern times has its own struggles. They come with several opportunities and pathways to grow academically, financially, and in their careers, but there are still some places in this world where a girl getting basic education is a challenge.
What are the unique skills women bring to any situation?
Women have emotional strength and resilience. They have the unique skill of recognising other people’s mental states, and reading between the lines. Women are more attuned to their children’s emotional needs and physical comfort, and they are able to process multiple tasks at the same time.
For example, while they complete important tasks, they are still aware of the environment around them. This is particularly valuable during the pandemic, where many of us are working from home.
What advice would you give to people about respecting women today?
To respect a woman is to listen to her when she shares something. Respecting a woman today means allowing her to choose. To choose whether she wants to have a career, stay single, or not have children, or even whether she wants to not work and be a homemaker. Today, respecting women means not assigning gender based expectations from her.
 
Maimunah Al Shebani, founder, The Retail Agency
What’s it like to be a woman in the modern world?

Being a woman is challenging today. There are a lot of expectations on us, from all sides. We are expected to be a good wife to our husbands, a perfect mother to our husbands, and a good daughter to our parents. At the same time, we have to balance all of this with our careers, where we feel the need to grow and advance.
I believe, however, that it is possible for both people in a partnership to thrive if both of them support each other, and that is exactly how my husband and I work together.
What are the unique skills women bring to any situation?
I believe women bring a lot of patience, a lot of empathy and a lot of understanding to any scenario. We try to see things from all perspectives before taking a decision.
It is a really important quality to have, particularly in defusing a complex situation, and a lot of the qualities women have are not so easily recognisable externally, but that makes them more valuable.
What advice would you give to people about respecting women today?
Learning to respect women must start at home, and this is something both my husband and I are very keen to impress upon our children. Teaching your young ones to respect everyone, regardless of gender, is an activity that has to come from both parents.
 
Dr Hafsa Banu, managing director, White Smile Dental Clinic
What’s it like to be a woman in the modern world?

Women today can be whatever we want to. In many parts of the world, girls are given the same opportunities and the same avenues for development as boys.
We need to understand that the old gender-specific roles assigned to men and women are slowly dissipating, and that is true in my home as well. For example, if I am in the kitchen making food, then my husband is right next to me using the blender to prepare something for our kids.
What are the unique skills women bring to any situation?
On the surface, women might appear to be a lot weaker than men, but as far as mental resilience and inner determination goes, I believe women have a lot more of that, compared to men.
It’s fair to say that we are able to overcome many challenges, survive them, and come out the other side stronger. These are very good skills to have in any situation, particularly during these tough times.
What advice would you give to people about respecting women today?
Teach your children and others not to believe in the stereotypes that exist around men and women today. When your children ask you about gender roles, make sure you take the time to explain these to them clearly.
Respecting women is something that needs to not just be taught at home, but at school as well. Observe the way your children interact with each other – point out when they are not behaving the right way, and encourage them to correct their behaviour the next time.

Anisa Al Raisi, instructor, Outward Bound Oman
What’s it like to be a woman in the modern world?

I think women today are free to pursue whatever they wish to – there has been a big cultural shift in attitudes, particularly among the young generation here.
There are, of course, a lot of stereotypical assumptions around gender roles today, but that’s all they are – assumptions. There is nothing stopping a woman from making her own mark on the world and doing things as well as men can, or even better.
What are the unique skills women bring to any situation?
I think the most important skill we bring is compassion. Before we take any decision, we take the time to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and see how it would impact them. It is a very important quality to have.
Another aspect I think to our nature is competitiveness. We are always driven to do well and succeed, and that’s necessary in any field.
What advice would you give to people about respecting women today?
Rather than just teaching people how to respect women, let them see it first-hand by you doing it. That is the best way to understand something: learning by doing. Even if someone does not understand or realise your capabilities initially, they will eventually see just how good you are when they see your achievements. – [email protected]