Women’s efforts in alleviating pandemic impacts underscored

The project is aimed at developing grape farming and boosting production in different governorates as well as training select farmers and ministry’s technicians on the modern methods of farming, harvesting and marketing of grapes

MUSCAT: The Sultanate on Monday joined the world in celebrating International Women’s Day, which falls on 8 March every year.

Oman’s participation in the event stems from the attention accorded to women in the Sultanate and their engagement in all spheres of national action, including development plans and programmes.

The Sultanate lays emphasis on supporting and empowering women across all sectors and highlighting their constructive roles in economic, scientific, social, educational, health and technical fields—to name a few, besides their household responsibilities of upbringing the offspring and enhancing family cohesion and social harmony.

This year, the United Nations (UN) marks the occasion under the theme of “Women in leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a Covid-19 World.”

The event celebrates the tremendous efforts exerted by women and girls around the world in forming a future where the world enjoys equality at a greater scale. It underscores women’s action in addressing the pandemic and alleviating its impacts. The event also focuses on loopholes yet to be tackled in the global social texture.

The Royal attention accorded to women since the dawn of Oman’s blessed renaissance and through the Renewed Renaissance era inducted by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, who pledged his noble Royal support to women by reinforcing their participation in the march of national development and by empowering them in all fields.

In this context, Sayyidah Maani al Busaidy, Director-general of Family Growth Department at the Ministry of Social Development, said “The Sultanate extended full support to woman as a human entity by fostering her partnership with man in the nation building process.

Sayyidah Maani pointed out that His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik stressed this point in a Royal speech in which he said that “Citizens’ partnership in moulding their country’s present and future is considered a basic pillar of national action. We are keen on enabling women to enjoy their rights stipulated by law, so that she could work side by side with man in all fields as she serves her country and her society. We also pledge our constant backing to these national fundamental principles that can neither be evaded, nor compromised.” In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), Sayyidah Maani pointed out that the Sultanate presses ahead with efforts to promote women’s status in a manner that guarantees their effective participation in social, economic and political development, as well as public life. “In Oman, woman participates alongside man in representing her country at international events. She proved capable of this mission right from the start of the Sultanate’s modern renaissance. Oman was among pioneering countries in terms of women’s empowerment in the regional and international arenas,” said Sayyidah Maani.

MUSCAT: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MOAFWR) is currently executing a project for grape cultivation. The project is aimed at developing grape farms by expanding the acreage and applying modern irrigation systems and grape farming and marketing methods.

The project comes within the framework of the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources to boost the agricultural sector’s contribution to the GDP. This includes cultivation fruit varieties that suit the characteristics of each governorate in terms of soil quality, water and climate.

Grape is among the fruit varieties that have high demand due to its taste and health benefits. It is cultivated in many governorates of the Sultanate, particularly the mountainous areas that are distinguished by moderate temperatures in summer.

The project is aimed at developing grape farming and boosting production in different governorates as well as training select farmers and ministry’s technicians on the modern methods of farming, harvesting and marketing of grapes. It targets to set up specialised grape farms for cultivating economic grape varieties on areas ranging between 1 and 5 acres as well as spreading the modern irrigation systems and grape farming techniques and establishing and developing genetic banks for grape varieties for the purpose of future propagation and research.

A number of locations have been selected in the governorates for establishing the project with 7 acres allocated for the project in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate, 5 acres in Al Dhahirah Governorate, 5 acres in North and South Al Batinah Governorates, 5 acres in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate and 3 acres in Dhofar.

SHURA COUNCIL ELECTIONS (2019-2023)

Increase in female candidates compared to the previous period, as their number reached out of 637 candidates who competed for 86 seats in the council