Women's employment in Oman

Hasani, Maryam Al

doi:10.14264/uql.2016.137

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 159 publications

(289 reference statements)

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“…With changing demographics, socio-cultural changes and a boost in education, more women job aspirants are available for recruitment. However, Omani women have shown a very high preference for government jobs (Al Hasani, 2016). As discussed earlier, the main reason for this is the WLB challenges and lack of clear regulations and supporting policies in the private sector (Al-Lawati, 2011; Shaban, 2016; Belwal and Belwal, 2014, 2017).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A significant number of female students are graduating each year from different higher educational institutions in Oman, but the mismatch in the number of female graduates and the employment of Omani women raises serious concerns. The turnover rate of Omani women in the private sector is high (Al Hasani, 2016); new graduates mainly aspire to join the government sector and abstain from joining any private sector job, even temporarily, to remain eligible for the government jobs (Shaban, 2016). Another major concern is the likelihood of their withdrawal after the age of 29, due mainly to failure in securing a job, marriage, family responsibilities and socio-cultural aspects (Al-Lawati, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Family friendly policies and the Omani Labour Law

Belwal

Alhashemi

2019

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to take cognisance of the work–life balance (WLB) challenges facing working women in Oman, make a review of the family-friendly policies (FFPs), related provisions in labour laws of various nations, and identify and suggest some FFP-based solutions for attracting women to private sector jobs. Design/methodology/approach Initially, desk research was used to review the labour laws of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and some pioneering countries known for their workplace policies using the major electronic databases and official websites. An exploratory approach was used to understand the lived experience of participants using 46 in-depth interviews. The data were analysed and the findings were explained and contextualised in terms of the Arab culture, wider social processes and consequences related to WLB. Findings The interviews revealed that the majority of women in the private sector are not fully aware of the labour laws and FFPs, and are not satisfied with the existing policies, as they do not provide the right WLB. Women in the private sector demand flexible working hours, privacy at work, reduced work hours and certain other benefits akin to the government sector. Omani Labour Law needs a review of FFPs in line with the best global practices and Oman’s diversification initiatives. The provision, awareness and implementation of FFPs in the workplace are necessary to attract Omani women to private sector jobs. Research limitations/implications This research focusses on Oman in particular and GCC countries in general in its coverage of Omani women workers. The outcomes would be important for the specific segment but would have limited potential to generalise. Practical implications The study of WLB and FFPs is of interest for both academia and industry globally. In its strategic vision 2040, Oman aims to encourage, support and develop the private sector to drive the national economy. To retain and boost the socio-economic development in the post-oil economy, the success of the private sector will depend on the participation of the Omani workforce. The role of working Omani women will be pivotal, for they form a substantial part of the skilled human resources inventory. Social implications Women working in Oman are influenced by labour laws, organisational culture, traditional attitudes and societal values and influences. The voices of women working in the private sector indicate a great need to create awareness of existing policies, ensure their compliance and devise additional workplace policies to enable women to contribute to the labour market. Originality/value There is a dearth of studies examining work policies and employment of women in the context of Oman in particular and the GCC Countries in general. Even in the extant literature, the sectoral imbalance between the government and private sector has not been explored from the perspective of WLB and FFPs. This study presents a unique approach and findings in this regard.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family friendly policies and the Omani Labour Law

Belwal

Alhashemi

2019

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“…2 Approximately one-quarter of the Omani workforce are women and this is expected to increase. 27,28 Although Oman has maternity leave allowance, it does not meet the minimal standard of 14 weeks recommended by the International Labour Organization. 28,29 Mothers are unable to adhere to EBF due to the short leave, the lack of child care and the challenges of expressing milk; according to a widely cited study in the United Arab Emirates, two-thirds of its participants did not exclusively breastfeed their infants for six months due to short maternity leave.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exclusive Breastfeeding

Al-Ghannami

Al-Mamari

Chekaraou

et al. 2022

Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J

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Objectives: Less than a quarter of Omani infants < 6 months are exclusively breastfed. Therefore, this study aimed to examine individual barriers and supports to exclusive breastfeeding and identify potential policy and programmatic interventions in Oman. Methods: A cross-sectional Barrier Analysis was carried out among a purposive sample of Omani women - 45 “Doers” (who exclusively breastfed their infants) and 52 “Non-Doers” (who do not) – who were selected and interviewed by trained enumerators in health clinics in various parts of the country. A barrier analysis tool, adapted for the Omani context, covered 12 common determinants of behavior adoption using open-ended questions regarding participants’ perceptions about exclusive breastfeeding including positive and negative consequences, self-efficacy and social norms. Qualitative analysis involved coding and tabulating as well as thematic analysis. Results: Mothers report that motivation for exclusive breastfeeding include the perception that it leads to healthier children, is easy, readily available and therefore convenient and that mothers report an elevated level of family support for breastfeeding. Barriers included perceived milk insufficiency and mother’s employment. Conclusion: To achieve the 2025 exclusive breastfeeding target of 50%, public health action should focus on emphasizing the benefits and convenience of exclusive breastfeeding and building women’s confidence in their ability to produce sufficient milk. These efforts will require increasing the knowledge and skills of community and health care workers and establishing monitoring mechanisms. Expanding paid maternity leave and supportive workplace policies are necessary to encourage working women to exclusively breastfeed. Keywords: Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding barriers, Breastfeeding support, Exclusive breastfeeding, Nutrition policy, Oman, Health Promotion.

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Disentangling work–family conflict, support, and turnover intentions: quanti–quali mixed method approach

Belwal,

AlHashemi

2023

Qual Quant

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Women's employment in Oman

Cited by 3 publications

References 159 publications

Family friendly policies and the Omani Labour Law

Family friendly policies and the Omani Labour Law

Exclusive Breastfeeding

Disentangling work–family conflict, support, and turnover intentions: quanti–quali mixed method approach

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