“The status of an Omani woman has a class of its own,” SHASHEENAH AL FARSI, first Omani woman account manager, Qatar Airways, noted in remarks made to the Purple online.
“…and, as we pave the way for our daughters, with faith in our religion and proudly carrying the future of our nation on our hands (I feel that) an Omani woman is the essence of the Omani heritage,” Shasheenah Farsi said.
Standard to follow
“And who knows, one day an Omani woman might become the standard for the rest of the world to follow.
The Omani Women’s Day is celebrated as an acknowledgment of the significant progress that the Omani women have made in almost every aspect and highlighting the unique collaboration between genders working together towards a shared vision for Oman’s future, Shasheenah said.
Testament to nation’s dedication
“The Omani Women’s Day stands as a testament to our nation’s dedication to honour our contribution, loyalty, pride, commitment and successes. As the nation paves the way to continue making progress and moving towards a better future, we walk hand in hand to continue enlightening the next generation of women to be proud of who they are and where they come from and to stand tall and embrace the nation’s pride as Omanis to create a more prosperous future and a name, we all will always be proud of,” she enthused.
Welcomed and appreciated
“The status of an Omani woman in Oman is the highest in its form and the respect we receive from our counterparts makes us feel welcomed and appreciated,” Shasheenah further noted.
EXCERPTS:
Women’s Day generally brings forth many thoughts: women’s equality/gender parity; women’s rights and the foremost need to break the bias (against women). Here, in Oman, could we say that it is more than just celebrating womanhood; here it is celebrating the success (various types of success, not just the monetary kind) of Omani women and the unique integration between the two genders, who are working together to achieve a better future for Oman? Your thoughts on this.
In the early days, we could find only a very handful of Omani women in the workforce. In fact, as a young girl, I don’t recall encountering such women at all. Fast forward to 2024 and see where we have reached! With the determination, commitment, and the overall support that the Omani women have received throughout the years, they have gone through a remarkable journey. We honestly don’t need a day to know the multifaceted achievements we have made across various dimensions of the society throughout the years… but it’s always good to be reminded of how powerful we are as women and how important we are for our country.
Omani Women’s Day is celebrated as an acknowledgment of the significant progress that the Omani women have made in almost every aspect and highlighting the unique collaboration between genders working together towards a shared vision for Oman’s future. Be it education, leadership, workplace integration or culture and social contribution, Omani women have excelled in contributing significantly and bringing forward and showcasing the Omani heritage. The Omani women have also broken the biases and fostered gender parity by collaborative efforts and supporting women’s rights. Little by little, we have created a chain.
Omani Women’s Day stands as a testament to our nation’s dedication to honour our contribution, loyalty, pride, commitment and successes. As the nation paves the way to continue making progress and moving towards a better future, we walk hand in hand to continue enlightening the next generation of women to be proud of who they are and where they come from and to stand tall and embrace the nation’s pride as Omanis to create a more prosperous future and a name, we all will always be proud of.
How would you view the growth and advancement of Omani women in the last many years?
The growth and advancement of Omani women has been extraordinary in recent years. It not only reflects a significant shift in social norms but also on cultural aspects, and due to the policies created by the government to further transform the future for the Omani women making things more accessible and achievable. The dedication, commitment and support given to the Omani women to continue to push through and increase participation in education and in the workforce is amazing. This has also created a substantial stride in improving educational opportunities, where now the women have opted to pursue higher education in and outside of Oman. This step, in return, has empowered women to be equipped and skilled in accruing knowledge to assist with the vision of the nation. Omani women have also increasingly taken up leadership roles and have represented Oman in both public and private sectors as well as outside of Oman. We have also been given positions in the government entities, Shura council as well as attaining senior managerial positions at various entities. Even though we would still face societal barriers in more traditional areas of the country, the cultural shift has gradually changed as the importance for gender equality has been growing. With the Oman Vision 2040, more and more Omani women will be participating in decision making processes and economic development, which encourages an equitable society for the Omani women. As we stand and take positions as leaders, we have become role models for the younger generation of women.
Also, with regards to the advancement, would you say that today the Omani woman is on par with the other women of the world? If not, what more should be done?
Let’s look at it this way: women in Oman have seen advancement in areas like education, employment, businesses, healthcare, government and political participation, significantly. And this was something we didn’t see possible if you had asked someone in 2000. Though the process is ongoing and can be complex to be compared, substantial progress has been made in recent years.
As we advance as a nation, going towards the same goals and visions, more progress will be made. The status of an Omani woman in Oman is the highest in its form and the respect we receive from our counterparts makes us feel welcomed and appreciated.
However, comparing also means that we are setting a benchmark or a standard to be attained. Hence, creating pressure and unrealistic goals, which may prove to be far-fetched, at least at this moment in time. This is not what we should be looking at, but rather setting our own goals and standards and becoming an Omani woman who is open minded, open to be understanding, open to be knowledgeable, and open to be opinionated. We need to continue to look forward and pass through the hurdles and run through narrow passages with a heart of a lioness but at the same time be sympathetic towards the unknown.
The status of an Omani woman has a class of its own and as we pave the way for our daughters, with faith in our religion and proudly carrying the future of our nation on our hands… An Omani woman is the essence of the Omani heritage.
And who knows (one day) an Omani woman might become the standard for the rest of the world to follow.
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