Muscat: An European human rights activist has urged Omanis to change their "mentality" when they elect candidates to Majlis As'shura next year and send women to the country's only elected body.
Not a single woman candidate was elected to the Shura in 2007 although 21 contested along with 632 other contestants for the 84-seat elected house that only has an advisory role.
"Hopefully, society [in Oman] will elect women in the next Shura elections (2011)," Amal van Hees, Director with the Holland-based Bridging the Gulf foundation, told Gulf News in an exclusive interview.
Bridging the Gulf is foundation that works for the Human Security in the Middle East and Van Hees is an expert on Arab affairs.
She stressed that women were needed in the elected body to serve the society better. "Male-dominated parliaments do neglect such social issues like health care and education," Van Hees believes.
Therefore, she asked Omani voters to elect women to the advisory council. "Shura does have a role to play in decision making even in Oman, thus I would advise people here to elect candidates in the larger interest of the society and nation, not tribes," she stressed.
The soft-spoken Dutch campaigner wants people to trust in Shura process. "People are not aware, they do not realise Shura's valuable contribution, people need to participate actively in the democratic process," reckons Van Hees, who has been travelling to the other Middle East countries also.
She pointed out that to make people realise that Shura was part of the decision making power, the media, including television, need to show publicise how their elected members perform inside the parliament.
Talking about the slow democratic process, Van Hees said that people here were still thinking on a traditional ways. "They still believe that traditional structures are still centre of power, which is true somehow."
However, she added that to have real reflection of what the society needs people must elect an institution. "For that every citizen must participate wholeheartedly – male as well as female, who form half of the society," she added.
Van Hees is here in Oman as part of the Media Forum, organised jointly by Tawasul and Oman Journalists Association, on the role of the media in covering election campaign in Oman.
She hoped such workshops will raise awareness level in the country before the elections next year and people will take part with the larger interest of the society rather than ‘group' interests.
"People are still thinking about categories and (own) groups, if you want change to happen, want reform and social equations then only structure that can guarantee is elected structure," she opined.
Van Hees is optimistic that past experiences and awareness campaigns being carried out by NGOs like Tawasul would help women get elected to the Shura in Oman.
"I am sure this time (2011 elections) women will get elected," she enthused but in second breath added that for that people will have to change their mentality.
In reply to a question if she would like to see some seats reserved only for women candidates, she slightly edgy. "I would like conditional quota that could be removed once women find their footing but people might think that women are imposed on them," she said, adding that some women in Oman would prefer to fight it out and get elected.
Van Hees said that she doesn't have sure fix solution to get women elected to Shura but hoped they would get representation next time as Omani embrace the democratic wholeheartedly.
