Saleh al Shaibany, Foreign Correspondent
BAHLA, OMAN // As a young woman who owns and runs a grocery store, Salwa al Habsi is something of a rarity in conservative, rural Oman. But as growing numbers of men flock to the cities in pursuit of better jobs, businesswomen like Ms al Habsi may not be so rare for much longer.
The shop she now owns, in the deeply conservative town of Bahla in the Interior Region, about 250km from the capital Muscat, was originally owned by her father but was closed after he died a year ago. Ms al Habsi’s three brothers initially refused to let her run the store, but her mother, supporting her daughter’s bid to run the shop, gave Ms al Habsi her gold, which she sold to raise funds to buy out her siblings’ shares of the business.
“If it is all right for women to run a business in Muscat, why are men raising their eyebrows in the regions?” said Ms al Habsi, 24. “It is certainly not against Islam and I have the full blessing of the government since authorities have granted me a business licence required to buy my father’s shop.”
Many family-owned stores such as Ms al Habsi’s in rural Oman are closed down when their owners die because male descendants are reluctant to run inherited businesses and many prefer to move to Muscat to find better paid jobs.
Ms al Habsi is the only woman in Bahla to run a shop, a profession that is taboo for a woman in the culture of any provincial town in Oman, and she is the target of constant ridicule from relatives and friends.
In rural Oman’s patriarchal culture, it is regarded as breaking with tradition for a woman to run a business. Traditionalists say women like her are driven by money, putting greed ahead of culture and heritage.
“The desire for money put them at risk of being shunned away from the community by going against traditions,” said Malik Saleh, a Bahla-based historian and poet. “That means these women may not find marriage suitors since they are seen as immoral.”
But Ms al Habsi said she took on the business to keep her family heritage alive, rather than seek a fortune, and pointed out that her brothers were not interested in managing the store.
“This business was started by my great-grandfather and I am not going to allow it to be taken over by strangers or simply shut down,” she said of the store, which sells many goods, from food and incense burners to kitchenware. “If my brothers care for traditions, why are they not interested in running the store?”
Some young women in other towns said survival now took precedence over preserving male-dominated traditions. “I dropped out of school. This is the only thing I can do,” said Asila al Jabri, 36, who owns and runs a women’s clothing shop in a much smaller town in Ibri, in the Eastern Region.
“The death of my father gave me the opportunity of earning a living. Had I listened to male chauvinism, that women should not openly compete with men in business, then my family would have starved.”
Mrs al Jabri has four children and a wheelchair-bound husband who is unable to work, making her the sole breadwinner of the family. But that does not spare her from scorn and sarcastic comments.
Statistics from the ministry of commerce show that less than one per cent of just over 54,000 small retail businesses outside of Muscat are now owned and run exclusively by women, up from zero per cent five years ago.
“Credit to them, these young women make a success out of the trades left by their fathers and they are also breaking the tradition by being the breadwinners of the families,” said Nader al Balushi, a Muscat resident who was on a visit to Bahla.
Women’s rights activists have called for more women in rural areas to start up their own businesses. Women wishing to do business in the regions should refuse to be pushed down by men writing their own social rules,” said Mahbooba al Hadhrami, a committee member of the Oman Women Association.
“The few women running their own trades in these towns are pioneers for better things to come.”
Showing posts with label oman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oman. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Oman: Omani Women En Route to Economic Independence
MEPI
In Oman, small businesses are considered a critical factor for economic growth and recovery. Assisting women in attaining professional entrepreneurial skills to maximize small business potential is a driving force for many countries economic growth. Supported by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) local grants program, Dar Al Atta, a leading charitable organization in Oman, started a program to encourage small and medium business ownership for economically disadvantaged women from different regions in Oman. To improve and enhance the economic climate for women’s entrepreneurship, Dar Al Atta conducted training for 65 women from low income families throughout the country in January and February 2009. Participants learned how to launch a business, achieve professional success and climb the entrepreneurship ladder.
Further training sessions taught participants how to develop a business idea, organize a business program, estimate start-up funding, and develop a business plan, as well as information and communication technology and E-Commerce skills. The women also acquired leadership and management skills that will support them in their outreach to funding agencies in Oman and in their successful small business operations. Six key-note speakers from the Omani Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Manpower and a successful women entrepreneur communicated their experience and provided insights on utilizing tools for business progress. As part of the MEPI-sponsored project, a web portal is also being developed to provide business development resources, information on local incubators and government supported-programs, and a network of local entrepreneurs. The portal will serve as a medium for women business owners to share collective wisdom.
Through MEPI grantee Dar Al Atta’s efforts, Omani women will be energized to invest in themselves, boost their living standards, and realize their goals to be economically independent. Next project steps will include: offering further training for women in other regions, finalizing a small and medium business instructional toolkit, and launching the entrepreneurship web portal so that more women will be able to achieve professional success.
This MEPI local grant project was covered recently in Oman’s local press, including the Times of Oman and Al Osra.
In Oman, small businesses are considered a critical factor for economic growth and recovery. Assisting women in attaining professional entrepreneurial skills to maximize small business potential is a driving force for many countries economic growth. Supported by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) local grants program, Dar Al Atta, a leading charitable organization in Oman, started a program to encourage small and medium business ownership for economically disadvantaged women from different regions in Oman. To improve and enhance the economic climate for women’s entrepreneurship, Dar Al Atta conducted training for 65 women from low income families throughout the country in January and February 2009. Participants learned how to launch a business, achieve professional success and climb the entrepreneurship ladder.
Further training sessions taught participants how to develop a business idea, organize a business program, estimate start-up funding, and develop a business plan, as well as information and communication technology and E-Commerce skills. The women also acquired leadership and management skills that will support them in their outreach to funding agencies in Oman and in their successful small business operations. Six key-note speakers from the Omani Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Manpower and a successful women entrepreneur communicated their experience and provided insights on utilizing tools for business progress. As part of the MEPI-sponsored project, a web portal is also being developed to provide business development resources, information on local incubators and government supported-programs, and a network of local entrepreneurs. The portal will serve as a medium for women business owners to share collective wisdom.
Through MEPI grantee Dar Al Atta’s efforts, Omani women will be energized to invest in themselves, boost their living standards, and realize their goals to be economically independent. Next project steps will include: offering further training for women in other regions, finalizing a small and medium business instructional toolkit, and launching the entrepreneurship web portal so that more women will be able to achieve professional success.
This MEPI local grant project was covered recently in Oman’s local press, including the Times of Oman and Al Osra.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Oman: Women Get Equal Rights to Own Land
MUSCAT - New Amendments to Oman’s Land Law give women equal rights as men to own residential plots, according to Housing Minister Shaikh Saif bin Mohammed Al Shabibi.
The changes, effected through a royal decree, reflect the importance given by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the role played by woman as a “partner in the development process,” he said. The amendments also specify the age for land entitlement, which has been reduced to 23 years from 24 if the individual is not married, and 21 years if married.
“As per the amendment to the Government Land Entitlement Law, priority will be given to those who have not got a government plot or who do not own land at the time of submitting the application, whether by purchase, inheritance or grants,” Shaikh Saif was quoted as saying by the Oman News Agency.
-- Khaleej Times
The changes, effected through a royal decree, reflect the importance given by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the role played by woman as a “partner in the development process,” he said. The amendments also specify the age for land entitlement, which has been reduced to 23 years from 24 if the individual is not married, and 21 years if married.
“As per the amendment to the Government Land Entitlement Law, priority will be given to those who have not got a government plot or who do not own land at the time of submitting the application, whether by purchase, inheritance or grants,” Shaikh Saif was quoted as saying by the Oman News Agency.
-- Khaleej Times
Monday, November 17, 2008
Oman: Government sets up human rights commission
Oman has for the first time set up a human rights commission as the United States removed the Sultanate’s name from a list of countries that it said had not done enough to check human-trafficking.
The newly-established ‘National Commission for Human Rights’ will be an autonomous body attached to the State Council, regarded as the upper chamber of Oman’s parliament, according to a decree issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
The commission, to be headquartered in Muscat, will have its own constitution and “be independent in practicing its duties,” the decree said.
Meanwhile, Oman has hailed a decision by the US president to drop its name from a State Department report, published earlier this year, that listed the Gulf state for the second consecutive year among countries across the world that did not make any effort to curb trafficking in humans.
The new move is a “step in the right direction,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. The Sultanate had strongly rejected the US State Department report soon after it was released in June. It said the faulty report “doesn’t tell the truth” and demonstrated the “short sightedness of the other party,” also adding that it did not reflect the real situation experienced by Omani citizens and expatriates living in the country.
And in a rare gesture, the Foreign Ministry handed an official protest note to the US Ambassador to Oman rejecting the “misleading information and incorrect allegations” contained in the report.
The report also generated widespread public anger in Oman with both the government and society leaders vehemently rejecting it as biased and unfounded, while the Majlis Ash’shura, the lower house, protested and condemned the State Department’s findings.
On Saturday, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte received a written message from Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry, welcoming the president’s decision. It was delivered to Negroponte by Oman’s Ambassador in Washington Haneenah bint Sultan Al Mughaireyah.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said the new US stance was a “step in the right direction” and met the remarks and objections raised by the Sultanate to the report.He pledged the country would continue its “constructive cooperation” with the international community to combat human-trafficking and “shoulder its responsibilities within the framework of international law and UN protocol on prevention, crackdown and punishment of human-trafficking, which was ratified by the Sultanate in 2005.”
Khaleej Times
The newly-established ‘National Commission for Human Rights’ will be an autonomous body attached to the State Council, regarded as the upper chamber of Oman’s parliament, according to a decree issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
The commission, to be headquartered in Muscat, will have its own constitution and “be independent in practicing its duties,” the decree said.
Meanwhile, Oman has hailed a decision by the US president to drop its name from a State Department report, published earlier this year, that listed the Gulf state for the second consecutive year among countries across the world that did not make any effort to curb trafficking in humans.
The new move is a “step in the right direction,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. The Sultanate had strongly rejected the US State Department report soon after it was released in June. It said the faulty report “doesn’t tell the truth” and demonstrated the “short sightedness of the other party,” also adding that it did not reflect the real situation experienced by Omani citizens and expatriates living in the country.
And in a rare gesture, the Foreign Ministry handed an official protest note to the US Ambassador to Oman rejecting the “misleading information and incorrect allegations” contained in the report.
The report also generated widespread public anger in Oman with both the government and society leaders vehemently rejecting it as biased and unfounded, while the Majlis Ash’shura, the lower house, protested and condemned the State Department’s findings.
On Saturday, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte received a written message from Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry, welcoming the president’s decision. It was delivered to Negroponte by Oman’s Ambassador in Washington Haneenah bint Sultan Al Mughaireyah.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said the new US stance was a “step in the right direction” and met the remarks and objections raised by the Sultanate to the report.He pledged the country would continue its “constructive cooperation” with the international community to combat human-trafficking and “shoulder its responsibilities within the framework of international law and UN protocol on prevention, crackdown and punishment of human-trafficking, which was ratified by the Sultanate in 2005.”
Khaleej Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Oman: Article on Women's Entrepreneurship
In the Middle East countries and specially the AGCC countries (Arab Gulf Cooperation Council consisting of Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait), the process of participation of the women in enterprise and businesses has been given due attention in the recent past. The long term development strategy, “Vision 2020” adopted by Oman has provided an encouraging environment for women entrepreneurs to participate and contribute towards this effect. Availability of education, training and awareness has helped Omani women to emancipate in recent past and resultantly, Oman has a significant number of women entrepreneurs in the male dominated Arab society.
In Oman, two main programs namely “Fund for Development of Youth Projects” and the “SANAD” Program have been launched in recent years to promote entrepreneurship for both
men and women. The Youth Fund was established in 1999 and it encourages young Omani men
and women to start small and medium enterprises. This program has been successful to some extent in attracting young entrepreneurs. The SANAD program was started in the year 2001, its main objective is to speed up the process of Omanization by creating self employment opportunity. This program has attracted a significant number of women who are interested in establishing their micro-enterprise.
Training and development plays important role in making women entrepreneurs successful. “Intilaaqah” program was established in 1995 by Shell Oil Co. in Oman to provide training, counseling and consultancy and its role in supporting women entrepreneurs has been very encouraging with its limited resource.
PDF version of the article: http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/research/icsb/2005/109.pdf
In Oman, two main programs namely “Fund for Development of Youth Projects” and the “SANAD” Program have been launched in recent years to promote entrepreneurship for both
men and women. The Youth Fund was established in 1999 and it encourages young Omani men
and women to start small and medium enterprises. This program has been successful to some extent in attracting young entrepreneurs. The SANAD program was started in the year 2001, its main objective is to speed up the process of Omanization by creating self employment opportunity. This program has attracted a significant number of women who are interested in establishing their micro-enterprise.
Training and development plays important role in making women entrepreneurs successful. “Intilaaqah” program was established in 1995 by Shell Oil Co. in Oman to provide training, counseling and consultancy and its role in supporting women entrepreneurs has been very encouraging with its limited resource.
PDF version of the article: http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/research/icsb/2005/109.pdf
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Qatar: Arab schools urged to teach ills of human trafficking
Qatar proposed on Wednesday that Arab countries introduce material on the fight against human trafficking into their school curriculums in order to raise awareness of the scourge.
"The issue of human trafficking must figure in modern curriculums in order to raise awareness and ensure a secure future for our societies," the secretary general of Qatar's Higher Family Council, Abdullah bin Nasser al-Khalifa, told the opening session of a conference on human trafficking.
Mariam al-Maliki, who coordinates the drive to combat human trafficking in the gas-rich Gulf state, said the campaign had been made more pressing by "the big economic and social changes experienced by Gulf societies," in particular population growth and the growing need for expatriate labour.
The two-day conference is organised by Qatar and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, with the participation of representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund.
The United States and international human rights groups have highlighted the problem of human trafficking in the oil-rich Gulf states, home to more than 13 million expatriates, many of them unskilled and low-paid Asian workers vulnerable to abuse.
The US State Department human trafficking report in 2006 upgraded the United Arab Emirates from the "Tier 3" of worst offenders to "Tier 2 Watch List" comprising countries which are making "significant" efforts to deal with the problem.
The UAE maintained its rank in the 2007 edition of the report, but other Gulf countries -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar -- were downgraded to Tier 3, joining Saudi Arabia.
According to UN estimates, around 2.5 million people -- 80 percent of them women and children -- are being trafficked around the world at any given time for purposes such as forced labour, sexual exploitation, the removal of organs and body parts, forced marriages, child adoption and begging.
Global annual profits from the exploitation of trafficked forced labour are estimated at 31.6 billion dollars.
-- Agence France-Presse
"The issue of human trafficking must figure in modern curriculums in order to raise awareness and ensure a secure future for our societies," the secretary general of Qatar's Higher Family Council, Abdullah bin Nasser al-Khalifa, told the opening session of a conference on human trafficking.
Mariam al-Maliki, who coordinates the drive to combat human trafficking in the gas-rich Gulf state, said the campaign had been made more pressing by "the big economic and social changes experienced by Gulf societies," in particular population growth and the growing need for expatriate labour.
The two-day conference is organised by Qatar and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, with the participation of representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund.
The United States and international human rights groups have highlighted the problem of human trafficking in the oil-rich Gulf states, home to more than 13 million expatriates, many of them unskilled and low-paid Asian workers vulnerable to abuse.
The US State Department human trafficking report in 2006 upgraded the United Arab Emirates from the "Tier 3" of worst offenders to "Tier 2 Watch List" comprising countries which are making "significant" efforts to deal with the problem.
The UAE maintained its rank in the 2007 edition of the report, but other Gulf countries -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar -- were downgraded to Tier 3, joining Saudi Arabia.
According to UN estimates, around 2.5 million people -- 80 percent of them women and children -- are being trafficked around the world at any given time for purposes such as forced labour, sexual exploitation, the removal of organs and body parts, forced marriages, child adoption and begging.
Global annual profits from the exploitation of trafficked forced labour are estimated at 31.6 billion dollars.
-- Agence France-Presse
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Oman: Sultanate guarantees women equal rights, opportunities: Sharifa
The Sultanate, along with the world, will observe and celebrate International Women’s Day today.
Today, March 8, of every year marks a day which is dedicated to women regardless of their race, language and culture.
In fact, women advancements and achievements occur on a daily basis. The Omani woman is the focal point of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s government, guaranteeing her equal rights and opportunities. March 8 allows us to reflect and acknowledge these accomplishments.
“The wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said recognises the important role in the empowerment of all Omani women in all sectors of the society. Omani women are the foundation of support for their families, and are at the forefront in every sphere of life," Dr Sharifa bint Khalfan bin Nassir Al Yahyaeiyah, minister of social development, said here yesterday.
“It gives me great pleasure to join every mother, wife, daughter and sister all over the world in celebrating ‘International Women’s Day’, and to congratulate every woman in every nation on her advancements in securing her important role in the society. Women are key players in ensuring sustainable development and in shaping their communities and families,” Dr Sharifa said.
“We must pay tribute to the exceptional achievements of Omani women in all sectors, which are attributed to the visionary leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.”
The Omani woman enjoys a wide array of civil and political liberties that are founded on the Islamic Sharia Law and all other laws, particularly the Basic Law of the State.
These laws have respected and protected all Omani women. Her equal attainment to education without gender discrimination and free access to all healthcare services has supported her to excel. Omani women have been appointed to high-level posts in the government and private sectors, which has had an impact on the country’s development.
Today, an Omani woman is a minister, an undersecretary, an ambassador, and a member of the State Council (Majlis Al Dowla). Women are doctors, teachers and engineers, and are employed at educational institutions, the armed forces and the police.
Omani women proudly undertook these responsibilities together without compromising their vital role in the upbringing of the new generation and in instilling social values. “Her voice is heard and echoed throughout the country.
Since 1970, the Omani woman was granted the right to establish associations, and engage civil society, in addressing the needs of all. Omani Women’s Association (OWA) provides a channel for voluntary work and the development of local communities. There are now a total of 52 Omani Women’s Association units in the Sultanate,” Dr Sharifa emphasised.
On the international front, the minister said, Omani women have proven themselves as leaders. The government has ensured that their rights remain protected and supported through the ratification of international treaties and conventions. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was ratified in May 2005, where a multisectorial committee was formed to ensure that these articles are implemented and closely monitored.
The Ministry of Social Development exerts tremendous efforts in providing basic services to the community and particularly to the family, with close attention to issues pertaining to women and their empowerment and advancement. It works in close collaboration with the government counterparts, the private sector and civil society to ensure that women are at the core of the country’s development.
The achievements of women are endless, and are in every area. The ‘National Women Strategy’ is a comprehensive strategy that aims at addressing all key areas of concern for women to ensure their well-being and support them. This strategy is currently under revision.
“On behalf of all Omani women, I have the honour to greatly praise and highly appreciate His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s continued support in ensuring that the Omani women are an essential component of this country, and its sustainable development,” the minister concluded.
-- Times of Oman
Today, March 8, of every year marks a day which is dedicated to women regardless of their race, language and culture.
In fact, women advancements and achievements occur on a daily basis. The Omani woman is the focal point of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s government, guaranteeing her equal rights and opportunities. March 8 allows us to reflect and acknowledge these accomplishments.
“The wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said recognises the important role in the empowerment of all Omani women in all sectors of the society. Omani women are the foundation of support for their families, and are at the forefront in every sphere of life," Dr Sharifa bint Khalfan bin Nassir Al Yahyaeiyah, minister of social development, said here yesterday.
“It gives me great pleasure to join every mother, wife, daughter and sister all over the world in celebrating ‘International Women’s Day’, and to congratulate every woman in every nation on her advancements in securing her important role in the society. Women are key players in ensuring sustainable development and in shaping their communities and families,” Dr Sharifa said.
“We must pay tribute to the exceptional achievements of Omani women in all sectors, which are attributed to the visionary leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.”
The Omani woman enjoys a wide array of civil and political liberties that are founded on the Islamic Sharia Law and all other laws, particularly the Basic Law of the State.
These laws have respected and protected all Omani women. Her equal attainment to education without gender discrimination and free access to all healthcare services has supported her to excel. Omani women have been appointed to high-level posts in the government and private sectors, which has had an impact on the country’s development.
Today, an Omani woman is a minister, an undersecretary, an ambassador, and a member of the State Council (Majlis Al Dowla). Women are doctors, teachers and engineers, and are employed at educational institutions, the armed forces and the police.
Omani women proudly undertook these responsibilities together without compromising their vital role in the upbringing of the new generation and in instilling social values. “Her voice is heard and echoed throughout the country.
Since 1970, the Omani woman was granted the right to establish associations, and engage civil society, in addressing the needs of all. Omani Women’s Association (OWA) provides a channel for voluntary work and the development of local communities. There are now a total of 52 Omani Women’s Association units in the Sultanate,” Dr Sharifa emphasised.
On the international front, the minister said, Omani women have proven themselves as leaders. The government has ensured that their rights remain protected and supported through the ratification of international treaties and conventions. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was ratified in May 2005, where a multisectorial committee was formed to ensure that these articles are implemented and closely monitored.
The Ministry of Social Development exerts tremendous efforts in providing basic services to the community and particularly to the family, with close attention to issues pertaining to women and their empowerment and advancement. It works in close collaboration with the government counterparts, the private sector and civil society to ensure that women are at the core of the country’s development.
The achievements of women are endless, and are in every area. The ‘National Women Strategy’ is a comprehensive strategy that aims at addressing all key areas of concern for women to ensure their well-being and support them. This strategy is currently under revision.
“On behalf of all Omani women, I have the honour to greatly praise and highly appreciate His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s continued support in ensuring that the Omani women are an essential component of this country, and its sustainable development,” the minister concluded.
-- Times of Oman
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