Friday 17 / October / 2025
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Social Development, celebrates Omani Women's Day annually on October 17. This year, the celebration is held under the theme "She is Oman", affirming the esteemed status of Omani women and the continuous support they receive as key partners in building the nation and shaping its future. The theme reflects a profound symbolism, portraying Omani women as a mirror of the Sultanate in its authenticity, values, and achievements, and as genuine contributors to development through their resilience, dedication, and loyalty embodying Oman itself.
The theme also conveys national, humanitarian, and societal dimensions, highlighting women's active role in shaping the present and future of the country, and honoring their contributions to family and community as the foundation from which achievements emerge.
"She is Oman", with its linguistic simplicity and deep meaning, embodies the Sultanate’s pride and appreciation for Omani women beginning with the family, where women serve as the core of cohesion and care, nurturing generations that uplift Oman across all fields. She is the mother, the educator, the role model who instills values and ambition, and who creates a stable environment that contributes to a balanced and cohesive society.
This celebration extends to recognizing the presence of Omani women across various sectors: education and academia, economy, military and security, culture and media, social and humanitarian work, diplomacy, sports and youth, environment, technology and digital innovation, healthcare, professional and artisanal fields, law, tourism, and emergency and crisis management. It is a tribute to their ongoing contributions and pioneering achievements in the nation's journey.
On this occasion, Her Excellency Dr. Laila bint Ahmed Al-Najjar, Minister of Social Development, congratulated Omani women, expressing pride in their honorable accomplishments and pioneering contributions across various domains. She emphasized that Omani women have always been, and continue to be, a fundamental pillar and active partner in building society, thanks to the noble support and care of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq – may God protect him – and to their talents and capabilities.
Her Excellency also affirmed that empowering Omani women is a national priority aligned with Oman’s vision to enhance their participation in nation-building. She noted that the Ministry of Social Development continues its efforts to implement programs and initiatives that support women throughout their lives and strengthen their presence and participation in Oman’s comprehensive development.
Laws and Legislation Supporting Women
Driven by its commitment to Omani women, the Sultanate of Oman has placed great emphasis on developing policies and legislation that support and empower them. Oman has worked to enhance women's rights and ensure their full participation across all fields through a legal framework that guarantees equality and non-discrimination.
The Basic Law of the State enshrines the principle of equality between men and women in rights and duties, as well as equality before the law. It also affirms equal opportunities in candidacy and elections. Recent national legislation includes several laws supporting women’s rights, such as the Labor Law, which grants advanced benefits to working women, including extended maternity leave in line with international standards, and the Social Protection Law, which ensures comprehensive coverage for women in various social circumstances. Education and healthcare laws also guarantee equal access to services.
Legal amendments have enabled women to obtain passports without the guardian’s approval, reflecting the state’s firm commitment to legal empowerment and ensuring women's rights in line with development aspirations.
The Ministry of Social Development plays a pivotal role in supporting and enhancing the capabilities of Omani women by formulating national policies and coordinating efforts to empower them and promote their active participation in society. This ensures alignment with principles of justice and equality and strengthens women's empowerment across all sectors.
The Ministry’s Social Work Strategy (2016–2025) laid the foundation for new social policies focused on women’s development and their role within the family. It adopted a human rights-based approach to guarantee the rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities in partnership with civil society organizations. Gender indicators formed the basis for the strategy’s implementation plans.
The strategy’s executive plan includes programs for women under the theme of family and community development, aiming to achieve fair national family policies, legislation, and programs based on indicators that support family stability and cohesion. It also includes initiatives for empowering women with disabilities, elderly women, and women from social security and low-income groups.
Omani Women in Decision-Making Positions
The Ministry of Social Development places great emphasis on empowering Omani women and enhancing their role in leadership fields. This is achieved through the adoption and implementation of national initiatives and specialized training programs aimed at building women's capacities in the electoral process and improving their competencies in leadership, management, and public policy formulation. These efforts qualify women to run for elections and participate in electoral councils and decision-making positions.
Additionally, the Ministry works with both public and private sectors to create a supportive environment for female leadership and strengthen their societal role. Last year, the Ministry launched the “Tasmu” initiative to develop the leadership competencies of Omani women, in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Management. The initiative aimed to enhance personal and professional skills and targeted 50 female leaders from government institutions, the private sector, and civil society.
Omani Women in Society
Omani Women’s Associations are among the most important community institutions contributing to the enhancement of women's participation in social development. They implement training, cultural, and social programs that raise awareness and develop the skills of Omani women across various fields.
By the end of 2024, there were 68 Omani Women’s Associations across the Sultanate, comprising 13,570 Omani women. The Ministry of Social Development works to strengthen the capacities of these associations by providing technical and administrative support and promoting partnerships with public and private sector institutions to ensure the sustainability of their social and economic programs and projects.
The Ministry also seeks to empower these associations and encourage them to adopt impactful social initiatives that reinforce the role of women as active partners in social development.
Economic Empowerment of Women
In support of women’s economic empowerment, the Ministry of Social Development implements programs and initiatives to enhance women's capabilities in production and entrepreneurship. This includes training, qualification, and the creation of a supportive environment for their projects, as well as encouraging their participation in the labor market.
By 2024, approximately 202 women had benefited from the “Tamkeen” program, which provides economic, training, and financial opportunities and promotes the establishment of small and medium home-based businesses. Additionally, 270 women joined capacity-building and qualification programs, while 86 women participated in training programs linked to employment.
The Ministry also launched the “Omani Women Wiki” initiative (2021–2024) to enrich digital content about Omani women and document their achievements on the global encyclopedia Wikipedia. A total of 100 Omani female figures were documented.
Empowering Incarcerated Women
The Ministry implemented the “Empowerment of Incarcerated Women” program (2020–2025), a national initiative aimed at identifying and studying the needs of women in correctional institutions. The program seeks to invest in their potential through a package of educational and awareness programs to develop their personalities within these institutions and facilitate their reintegration into society after release.
This is done by creating opportunities to establish small or medium-sized projects and providing marketing channels, contributing to psychological, social, and economic stability. Since 2021, a total of 64 educational lectures and training courses have been delivered under this program.
Women's Participation at the International Level
The Ministry of Social Development has actively worked to enhance the international representation of Omani women and empower them to participate effectively in regional and global forums. This has been achieved through membership in various human rights organizations and committees, as well as by taking all necessary steps for nomination, representation, and follow-up—reflecting the presence of Omani women in decision-making positions at both regional and international levels.
This commitment is exemplified by Oman’s membership in the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child for the term 2023–2026, the Executive Board of UNICEF for the term 2024–2026, and the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women for the term 2025–2028. Oman also holds membership in the Executive Council of the Arab Women Organization, the Executive Board of UNESCO for the term 2023–2027, and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), where an Omani woman serves as Director General of the Department of Cultural, Social, and Family Affairs.
Furthermore, Oman participates in committees related to women and children through its permanent delegation to the United Nations in New York, showcasing the active presence and representation of Omani women on international platforms.
