NEW YORK: The United Nations congratulated Omani women on the occasion of the Omani Women’s Day, celebrated every October 17, affirming that the Sultanate of Oman under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik enjoys appreciation from the international community as a peace-maker and builder of bridges for boosting regional and international stability.
Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, hailed the tangible progress made by the Sultanate of Oman in empowering women and enhancing their status in various aspects.
The UN official said: “This day comes as a celebration of the efforts made by the Omani women in supporting the march of development in the Sultanate of Oman and an affirmation of the official commitment to support women and preserve their social, economic, political and cultural accomplishments.
The experiences of nations proved that investing in people is the best way for nation progress, economic growth and human solidarity. Empowering women in skills, knowledge and experiences adds cultural values to human wealth and boosts the society’s belief on the values of justice, equity, equality and peace, she said.
Delivering a speech through video conference, the UN official noted that the Sultanate of Oman realized early that women empowerment and advancement is a principal element in the march of nations and the title of their renaissance. Hence, women took a prime position among the priorities of the national strategy for comprehensive development. She pointed to the keenness of Oman Vision 2040 to put the people and the society at a pivotal place by providing an appropriate environment and legislations that preserve the status of women at home and in the workplace.
The UN official confirmed that Omani women have over the past decades managed to make a distinctive presence and to effectively seize the opportunities made available to them. She added: “The statistics show the rate of female enrollment to educational institutions in the Sultanate of Oman has risen to 73 per cent in 2019. In the same year, women made up 40 per cent of scholarships which is an encouraging percentage and inspiring for girls and women across the Arab world and the Middle East region.
Omani women assumed leading positions in the state’s authorities through which they unleashed their innovative and creative powers proving that they are up to the challenge. Omani women working for the public sector made up over 40 per cent of the total workforce in 2019. Besides, women made their presence felt in the private sector and the economic and business sectors where they represent 88 per cent. Omani women also make up 23 per cent of the entrepreneurship sector, she said.
Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, touched on the conformity between the national legislations and plans and the international conventions and agreements that were ratified by the Sultanate of Oman.
