Omani women’s role in public, private sector applauded

Merge 104.8  |  27 August 2020

Dubai-based Gulf News has published an article on its website commending the role of Omani women in the public and private sectors, and the government’s encouragement of this role, Oman News Agency (ONA) reports.

Cover photo credit: Oman News Agency

The article, titled “Oman: More women being employed in private sector”, said that the Sultanate’s labour market witnessed a steady increase in numbers of working women in the private sector — comprising 42 per cent of the total workforce, compared to 26.6 per cent in the government sector.

“The number of Omani women employed in the private sector in 2019 was 70,565 – a figure which is up by 5,502 compared to the previous year (2018),” the article stated. 

As per ONA, the paper credited the data to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), saying that it “throws light on a paradigm shift in the job spheres that were hitherto not so hot in women’s job-radar.”

It explained that spheres that saw a stronger presence of female workforce than men include education, health, and social services, in addition to financial, insurance, information and communication activities.

Gulf News pointed out that Omani women are making rapid headway in sales centres in the age groups of 25-29, 30-34, and 35-39.

The article pointed out that, “another positive indicator is that the vast majority of Omani women employed in the government sector are university graduates, followed by diploma holders. The corresponding figure for the private sector indicates that most of them started working after their secondary school.” 

Source: ONA