Life as a Woman in Oman?

FunnyBunny wrote:

Dear fellow females and those who observe our rights,

I would like to know what life is like for women in Oman.  Do you experience harassment, staring, being followed or any other unpleasant experiences? 

Or do you feel confident and safe to explore the country freely?

Thanks!

I'll answer this as a "Person observing female rights"

Oman is pretty safe for women and I am sure a lot of residents would agree with me on this. However, that being said, it is best to exercise common sense in areas of low visibility and when you are alone. You are also expected to respect the local traditions and cultures.

Be safe and have fun...

I got the impression that it was pretty safe, but what about harassment?

I lived in Egypt for 3 long years and the only way that males became suddenly awake and aware was by walking 5-10 steps behind a female friend and observing the looks and comments.  It was quite an eye opener, even for local men, who seemed to walk around in a Susan Sells the Pyramids, rose tinted haze all their lives.  Some frienemy males would also contribute to that harassment by patronizingly taunting "It's because you're cute".

Now Harassmap and OPANISH are up and running and being staffed by many volunteer Egyptian males, the denial phase is pretty much over.

I was wondering if women had any similar experiences in Oman.

Obviously, wandering around dark places on your own at night in an country is unsafe for both males and females for the same reasons and dressing appropriately makes only the smallest difference, but on a day to day, walking down the street situation... how is it?

Well I know a handful of single colleagues and friends, none of them have experienced any harassing problems as such. There are also certain areas such as Qurum / Al - Khuwair etc, which is populated by night clubs and fancy restaurants... People have become accustomed to the western lifestyle in such areas and not many raise an eyelid.....

On a personal note, I havent seen a lot of cat-callers, about in Oman..... people are generally nice

Hi dear ,
I have also shifted from Abu Dhabi a month back, and I felt here unlike Abu Dhabi distances are too much so you have not much chance to walk around. If you are driving then ok otherwise public transport is not good or may be you can say not safe for ladies to go out alone that's what everybody told me here, so that makes us very dependent on husbands to take us around. Which is not the case in Abu Dhabi where we are really independent to move around. Otherwise I feel the place has a very slow pace so you can say little cool that way.
All the best .

I've been living in Oman for many years now, and can say that I feel safer as a woman here than in many European cities. And yes, I move around here by myself all the time, Oman to me is one of the most tolerant and relaxed places there is. Haven't said that, I am not much about at night, and as said before, common sense, as you would apply anywhere else should be maintained. Due to work I even had to spend two weeks in an oil camp in the desert once, where I was the only woman amongst more than 500 men - never felt uneasy, I was given a respectful distance all the time.
Regarding the staring: you won't get it as much from Omanis as from migrant workers from the subcontinent, but then that's a cultural thing, as it isn't considered rude for them... You will be stared at when walking around in miniskirts, but then you really are asking for it!

newnett!
One of the most practical reply I've ever seen.

Everything you said is cent percent correct.

Thanks! I try...

Thanks for all the contributions to this post!