OMAN: Women Resolve to Win Seats in Oman' Shura Council

Even as no woman was elected in the Shura elections held in May 2007, Omani women have resolved not to give up. After waiting in queue in front of the school premises in 2007 to enroll themselves in the elections, 84 seats were won by men candidates. However, this did not deter the women, instead, they firmed up their determination to dream big with a belief “sky is the limit”.

As men, women too have the right to raise their voice in the Sultanate. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in one of his speeches in Majlis Oman 2009 had said, “We are continuing on this path, God willing as we are, that the country, in its blessed march, needs both men and women because no doubt it resembles the bird in relying on both of its wings to fly high on the horizons of the sky. How can this bird manage if one of its wings is broken? Will it be able to fly?”

His Majesty called upon each and every woman to seize opportunities provided to her to prove her mettle.

In fact, women in Oman have enough potential to be an effective component in further building up the nation.

In a series of planned training programmes held in preparation for Majlis Al Shura elections, Omani women planning to run for the 2011 elections gathered yesterday at a workshop organised by Tawasul at Muscat InterContinental.

The responses from the candidates assured of a promising and empowered group of ladies who are going to fight the elections
next year.

Those active women, each in her own wilayat, shared yesterday their visions on how they would like to be effective in serving their wilayats as well as the country.

Some were shy and others were hesitant but they all could pass across their visions on how they want their wilayats, and Oman to be when they win a chair at the Shura Council.

Each participant was given five minutes to address the audience and explain future visions.

Tawasul, driven by its vision “to be the primary and preferred catalyst for an effective and efficient civil society in Oman”, pursues its mission “to empower civil society institutions through training and imparting knowledge”.

The panelists who evaluated the participants yesterday included, Muna Mahfuth Al Manthari, member of the State Council, Lamis Abdullah Al Taei, member of the State Council and former Shura member, Masouma Saleh Al Mubarak, who got elected number one in the first district as member of the National Assembley Kuwait with 14,247 votes in May 2009, Amal Van Hees, coordinator, Bridging the Gulf Foundation, the Netherlands, and Suad M. A. Sulaiman, assistant Professor of Counselling Psychology, State Council Member and Social Community
Chairperson.