Muscat— The Omani Women Forum 2026, held in its second edition under the title "New Horizons for Omani Women's Parliamentary Work," reviewed enhancing awareness of parliamentary participation requirements, as well as supporting women's readiness to run for office and exercise an active role in community service and decision-making through three panel sessions addressing the horizons of women's participation in the Shura Council and the roles and responsibilities of its membership.
This came during the forum organized today by the Derasat Center for Women and Society, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development, under the auspices of HH Sayyida Dr. Muna Fahd Al Said, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University for International Cooperation.
The forum witnessed the launch of three community initiatives to support women wishing to run for the Shura Council elections, targeting women aspiring to engage in parliamentary work, representatives of Omani Women's Associations from various governorates, women leaders, and relevant civil society organizations.
The first initiative, titled "For Her Voice, an Enduring Impact," organized by the Omani Journalists Association, aims to enhance the political and parliamentary awareness of Omani women wishing to run for the Shura Council, and qualify them media-wise to undergo the electoral experience with efficiency and responsibility.
The second initiative was organized by the Omani Lawyers Association under the title "Legal Empowerment for Female Candidates in the Shura Council Elections," aiming to enhance the legal readiness of female candidates and empower them to understand the legislation governing elections to undergo the electoral experience and practice parliamentary work with awareness and responsibility. The third initiative, titled "Raya," was organized by the Omani Society for Human Resource Management to prepare Omani women wishing to run for the Shura Council and enhance their leadership, media, and community readiness.
Dr. Ohood Said Al Balushi, Member of the State Council, Founder and CEO of the Derasat Center for Women and Society, said that the forum comes in line with an important phase in the journey of women's participation in parliamentary work, and out of keenness to couple the dialogue in the forum with practical steps through the launch of community initiatives presented by civil society institutions.
She emphasized that the cooperation between the Ministry of Social Development and the Center, along with the contributions of strategic partners, supporting entities, and collaborators, reflects the importance of integrating efforts in supporting women's qualitative participation, pointing out that the success of these efforts is reflected in their impact on women's readiness to participate and their ability to bear the responsibility of representation and serving the nation and society.