Empowering Women in Society.

An examination of women’s status in conservative societies offers critical insight into the persistent gap between legal frameworks and the practical realisation of gender equality. Within such contexts—often shaped by entrenched patriarchal norms and male-dominated social structures—women encounter compounded challenges not typically faced in societies that have undertaken substantive legal and institutional reforms to promote equal rights and opportunities.

These challenges manifest in multiple forms, including but not limited to legal discrimination, particularly in matters relating to personal status, inheritance, and nationality laws. For instance, in several Arab states, women remain unable to pass their nationality on to their children if married to a non-national. This constitutes a clear violation of the principle of legal equality and often results in legal and social insecurity for the affected children.

Employment inequality represents another critical barrier, as women frequently have limited access to job opportunities due to both the absence of gender-sensitive employment policies and prevailing cultural attitudes that restrict women’s participation in the public sphere. In addition, protection from domestic violence remains either weak or entirely absent in many legal systems. Even where legislation exists, enforcement mechanisms are often ineffective, and reconciliation is prioritised over justice—placing the preservation of the family unit above the safety and rights of the victim.

Socially, women in such societies often find themselves in a state of prolonged dependence on their families or male guardians, particularly when it comes to making significant life decisions. In some jurisdictions, women are still required to obtain the approval of a male guardian in order to marry, pursue higher education, travel, or enter employment. This not only undermines their legal capacity but also severely restricts their personal autonomy.

Addressing these deeply rooted issues necessitates comprehensive legal reform, coupled with a shift in dominant cultural narratives. Efforts must include the promotion of inclusive education, public awareness campaigns, and institutional policies that embed the principles of equality and non-discrimination. Only through such multi-layered interventions can women be fully empowered as active and equal participants in all dimensions of public and private life.

One of the worst outcomes that women face due to the lack of awareness about the importance of their empowerment, as well as the weakness of national or local laws that enhance this empowerment and provide adequate protection for them to live their lives without restrictions, is violence, which in many cases escalates to murder. Additionally, they lose opportunities that could be available to them in the professional sphere. Therefore, empowering women serves as a means to raise awareness about the importance of women’s roles in society and how effective these roles can be when a safe and suitable legal, social, and economic environment is provided.

Empowering Women:

Women’s empowerment is understood as a social process through which women become aware of the unequal power relations embedded in gender structures and gain the tools and opportunities necessary to challenge prevailing forms of discrimination—whether within the family, the workplace, or the broader community. As defined in established gender studies literature, empowerment is “a process through which women acquire awareness of unequal power relations and gain the voice and agency to confront systemic inequality within their social environment.”

Drawing on the OCHRD’s fieldwork and engagement with women’s rights issues over the past decade, it has become evident that effective approaches to women’s empowerment must be rooted in a nuanced understanding of the diversity of social, religious, cultural, and ethnic contexts across different societies. Recognising this diversity should not be misconstrued as a justification for delaying or diminishing women’s rights, but rather as a vital step toward adopting strategies that are both effective and sustainable.

For instance, in societies characterised by strong religious or tribal influences, discourse on women’s empowerment is often perceived as a threat to cultural values or as an imposition of external models. In such contexts, genuine empowerment necessitates the construction of a reform-oriented narrative that respects local specificities without compromising the universal principles of human rights. This balanced approach allows for the advancement of gender equality in a manner that is both culturally sensitive and normatively grounded.

Despite Oman’s ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), domestic legislation continues to uphold provisions that institutionalise gender-based discrimination and reinforce male privilege. While Article 15 of the Basic Statute of the State affirms the state’s commitment to ensuring equality between men and women, such constitutional guarantees remain largely symbolic in the absence of substantive legal reform. Key areas of concern include the Personal Status Law, which governs issues such as marriage, divorce, guardianship, and inheritance, and the Penal Code—both of which contain provisions that significantly curtail women’s rights.

For example, under the Personal Status Law, a woman’s legal autonomy is constrained by the requirement of male guardianship for marriage, and unequal treatment in divorce proceedings and child custody arrangements. In criminal law, the absence of comprehensive legal protection against domestic violence and the lack of recognition of marital rape reflect broader systemic failures to safeguard women’s bodily integrity and dignity.

These legal shortcomings are reflected in Oman’s performance in international gender indices. According to the Global Gender Gap Report published by the World Economic Forum (2025), Oman ranked 134th out of 148 countries, with a gender gap score of 0.637. This low ranking highlights persistent disparities in women’s participation in the economy, education, political representation, and access to healthcare.

In light of these ongoing legal, social, and economic barriers, the OCHRD proposes a strategic plan aimed at raising awareness of the importance of women’s empowerment and enhancing their role in public and private life. A critical component of this strategy is the adoption of an inclusive and participatory approach to policy development. It is essential that women from diverse social, cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds be actively involved in the design and implementation of this framework. Their lived experiences and perspectives are vital to ensuring that all relevant challenges—whether legal, structural, or cultural—are adequately addressed.

From a legal standpoint:

1. Review of Local Laws: Conduct a comprehensive review of all local laws and repeal any legislation that constitutes or may constitute discrimination against women, whether concerning their social status in family life or in their professional lives.
2. Introduction of Protective Laws: Introduce laws that enhance protection for women against domestic violence, including establishing protection centres for victims that ensure their safety away from any threats posed by their perpetrators. Implement stringent laws that penalise any acts of violence against women.
3. Improvement of Citizenship Laws: Enhance laws facilitating the transfer of Omani citizenship from Omani women married to non-Omanis to their children, without the need for prolonged waiting periods or imposing prohibitive conditions related to the woman’s social status.

From a social perspective:

1. Removing Social Barriers: Eliminate social barriers or restrictive norms that limit women’s roles outside the home. Develop an educational plan for the community at large, highlighting the dangers of these barriers and their negative impact on women’s roles, as well as their psychological and social well-being.
2. Engaging Men in Awareness: Involve men in the awareness and education process to ensure a safer and broader dissemination of information. Emphasize the importance of men’s support in challenging societal norms and promoting gender equality.
3. Utilising Technology for Social Awareness: Employ technology to enhance social awareness and facilitate quicker access to information. Leverage platforms and tools that can effectively spread messages about gender equality and women’s empowerment across various segments of society.

From a psychological & health perspective:

1. Safe Space Provision: Establish safe spaces for women to openly discuss their issues and the impact of societal challenges on their mental and physical health.
2. Empowerment Tools and Channels: Provide safe spaces, effective tools, and channels that enable women to assert their rights and advocate for them confidently.
3. Free Counseling Program: Implement a program offering free psychological and health counseling by specialised professionals, aimed at addressing the specific needs and challenges faced by women.

Politically:

1. Enhancing Women’s Participation: Activate women’s participation in society by expanding the parliamentary representation base with a system that allows them access to representative councils without the need to navigate the same steps or rules currently in place. This is especially important if societal trust in women is hindered by customs or a male-dominated culture.
2. Equal Appointment in Official Positions: Work towards appointing women to official positions on an equal basis with men, ensuring equal representation.
3. Establishment of Women’s Committees: Establish special committees for women within civil or official institutions, ensuring their membership includes a diverse cross-section of women from the community.

The necessity of empowering women is crucial for establishing a more equitable, prosperous, and sustainable world. This empowerment ensures women’s equal access to education, employment, and leadership positions, thereby enriching societies with a broader range of perspectives, skills, and talents. It also results in enhanced economic growth, improved public and individual health outcomes, and more effective governance. Moreover, it is essential to emphasise that empowerment is an effective means to break cycles of poverty, reduce gender-based violence, and achieve social justice. Thus, it is evident and certain that the concept of empowering women cannot be confined solely to fairness or equality; it is a critical strategy for advancing humanity and creating a balanced and harmonious society for all.