Sidrah develops next-gen women leaders
One must strive to inspire others by lifting others and there must be more collaborations rather than competition. These were the motivational words that inspired women aged 18 to 25 at Sidrah, a leadership programme for young women.
The event marked the completion of its inaugural edition at Intercontinental Muscat on Sunday. Held in the presence of H E Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrooqi, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the event showcased the evolution of Sidrah and presented stories of the participants and their enriching experience over six months of the programme.
Co-designed and co-run by Lahunna Oman and Outward Bound Oman, Sidrah was launched in June 2022 to serve the unique needs of young Omani women across the sultanate, striking a balance between theoretical concepts and pragmatic exercises. Its mission was to train the next generation in creative problem solving, leading change, character development and civic engagement by reinforcing Omani values, social responsibility and citizenship.
Shatha Salim al Maskiry, Founder of Lahunna, said, “As a natural extension of Lahunna’s objectives, the first edition of Sidrah helped more than 40 young women build a stronger sense of self and purpose by developing their abilities to think critically, collaborate and solve problems, as well as harnessing their emotional intelligence to network and communicate effectively.”
She informed that participants had access to mentors in various fields “which not only provided the young women a pathway towards expanded options for their careers and lives, but also personally gave me hope that the next generation can create a better future by being agents of change”.
Shatha added, “Our participants learnt that they do not require championing nor empowering – they have all it takes to excel. I can't wait to see how much more they will achieve from here with the boost of confidence they have now.”
On the occasion, Mark Evans, Executive Director of Outward
Bound Oman, said, “We have been privileged to continue our decade-plus journey of making an impact on youth in Oman. One aim of our courses is to generate and develop the next generation of future leaders for the nation. Our partner Lahunna Oman complemented this programme in Phase II by catering to the intellectual needs of the young women to cultivate their leadership skills and create an expansive network of connections to expand their professional horizons. The development they have shown throughout the programme has been fantastic to witness – and a tribute to the careful planning, in-depth and continuous observation that went into the programme by Lahunna Oman.”
Sidrah employed a twophased approach. Phase I focused on experiential learning, held over four days in June 2022 at Outward Bound Oman’s Jabal Akhdar Training Centre. Phase II comprised six intensive months of coaching and mentoring represented by NYAA in Singapore, Protiviti and IDENTITY. The programme was further complemented with guest speakers who were CEOS, parliamentarians, academics, industry experts and entrepreneurs.