Political participation of Omani women highlighted at IPU meet

BELGRADE FORUM: Delegation from State Council and Majlis Ash’shura attends

BELGRADE: The 141st General Assembly of the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU) meetings in Belgrade, Serbia, concluded on Thursday, with the participation of a delegation from the Sultanate headed by Mohammed bin Abu Bakr al Ghassani, Vicechairman of Majlis Ash’shura.

The delegation included members from the State Council — Dr Rayya bint Salem al Manthari and Nashia bint Saud al Kharousiya — and from Majlis Ash’shura — Shaikh Ali bin Nasser al Mahrouqi, Secretary General of Majlis Ash’shura, and members Ahmed bin Mohammed al Haddabi, Rashid bin Ali al Hassani and Dr Abdullah bin Ali al Omari.

Dr Rayya bint Salem al Manthari, State Council member and representative of the Arab Group, participated in the Forum of Youth Parliamentarians of the Interparliamentary Union.

During the meeting, Dr Rayya said that the Sultanate is celebrating Omani Woman’s Day on Thursday. This embodies the high interest of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to integrate women in the process of comprehensive development since the beginning of the Blessed Renaissance.

She added that the celebration of Women’s Day this year comes amid achievements reflecting their contribution to the community and national development.

Dr Rayya pointed out the ongoing efforts to enhance the political participation of Omani women, and noted in this regard the training programmes being implemented to impart essential skills to the women candidates of the Majlis Ash’shura elections, scheduled for this monthend.

She drew the attention of the audience to the experience of student advisory councils in the Sultanate as a role model that raise awareness and educate young people about the electoral process, and are positive indicators of society’s confidence in women by electing an estimated percentage of female students to these councils.

Nashia bint Saud al Kharousiya, State Council member, speaking on the ‘partnership between men and women’, called for the need to review the IPU’S mechanism on the representation of women in parliament. She said that it is presenting an incorrect image about the extent of women’s representation in parliamentary work, especially for countries that have adopted the dual council system.

This methodology of classification has placed the Sultanate in a way that is not matching the reality of the achievements achieved by it in this respect.