Announcement

Women give instructions to men on the price of livestock in Nizwa. The women wear the battoulah, a mask traditionally worn by Muslim Arab women in Arab states of the Persian Gulf, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar, as well as in southern Iran. Despite this archaic dress, Omani women today enjoy full political rights under the law. Women are considered to be as much a part of society as men.

They hold ministerial posts and represent the Sultanate abroad as ambassadors. Female members of parliament are represented in the Majlis Ash Shura (Consultative Council) and Majlis Oman (full parliament). They have the right to run and vote in elections. In the private sector, women work at all levels: as ordinary employees, in management positions and also as managing directors and owners. No sector is closed to women. They hold all kinds of official positions, serve in the military and make up almost half of all government employees. There is no gender gap in pay in Oman.