Mariam AlAraimi, Director of Total Quality Management/ Learning & Development at DusitNaseem Resorts in JabalAkhdar, Oman is considered as Oman's youngest Omani professional to lead Quality and learning & development. She started her journey as a school receptionist and gradually climbed the corporate ladder. When we asked the young women leader about her thoughts on the current state of women in the workforce in Oman, she said, "Oman is a great place for women to work. The country has a large number of female ministers, secretaries, deans, CEOs, and other leaders."
She attributes this growth to Oman's Late Sultan Qaboos, who saw women as equal half the society. "HM Sultan Haitham, the current Sultan, has also followed in his footsteps and encourages more females to strive for more and more in our beloved country," further adds Mariam.
Mariam's sentiment is shared by a majority of the Gulf country. Oman which had 49.7 percent of female population in the end of 2020, has had women play a constructive role over the past 50 years in nation building.
The country and its government lays special emphasis on promoting women's development in various aspects of the society. Providing access to quality education for all has played a key role in reinforcing women's strong role as active partners in nation building. Omani women receive access to good basic and higher education which further enables them to pursue careers in different industry verticals and areas of specializations.
Official reports suggest that by July 2020, Omani women made up 33.2 percent of the overall workforce in the government and private sector. Theirparticipation in private sector stood at 26.4 percent at the end of 2019.
Other than the positive role played by government policies, Omani women and their personal attributes also played a crucial role in strengthening their position as industry leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals. A study on `Success and agency: localizing women's leadership in Oman' by Emerald found that contrary to popular belief more (44 percent) Omani women in leadership positions identified as career-centered.
Another Emerald study on `Feminizing leadership in Arab societies' concluded that women in leadership positions in Oman are highly motivated and ambitious. "They are challenged by the incongruence of their roles as female leaders relative to the prevailing social values and expectations towards women and their traditional role in society," said the report.
It is ambitious women like Mariam and several others like her who are carving a niche for themselves in the corporate world by sheer grit and talent. An ally to their growth is the Oman Government. As mentioned in the Oman Vision 2040, emphasis will be laid on harboring a conducive environment for women to strongly participate in different aspects of economic, social and political life in a manner that empowers them.
The future is indeed female!
