Policewomen set to participate in annual military parade for first time

Omani women will today add another feather to their cap when for the first time, policewomen will be allowed to participate in the annual military parade to be held at the Sultan Qaboos Academy for Police Sciences in Nizwa in honour of Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed on the occasion of the 41st National Day of Oman. The country's leader has always advocated equal role for women in Omani society and has even appointed women as ministers and undersecretaries over the last seven years. The Omani woman is at the forefront in almost every field, especially in education where women not only fare academically better than men but are also more in number. The government has also been advocating the election of women to the Shura Council but the electorate has so far not responded in the manner reflective of the solid role played by women in almost every sphere of life in the country. Shunned at the polls In the 2004 elections, not a single woman was elected despite 21 contesting. Prior to that, only two women earned seats in the 84-seat elected Shura Council. In the election last October 77 women contested but only one was elected. Later Sultan Qaboos named 15 women to the State Council, where he nominates members every four years. The Omani women in Royal Oman Police (ROP) started their role in 1970 when they were recruited to screen women passengers at the country's only international airport then in Muscat. Since then they have come a long way and today 511 women are in the police force. Meanwhile, Sultan Qaboos received a cable of congratulations from Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Saeed, Deputy Prime Minister, on the occasion of the nation's 41st National Day.