Women defy men and tradition to vote in Oman

High female turnout may reflect a desire to elect a woman MP.

MUSCAT // Thousands of Omani women yesterday turned up to vote in a countrywide election, many of them ignoring their husbands who told them to stay home or vote only for relatives and friends.

Some women said that in the previous Shura council elections, men dictated to their wives and daughters who they should vote for and, in many instances, they specified a member of the tribes or close friends. The other choice was to stay at home and not to vote all.

"If it means that my husband will give me a divorce for not voting his choice of candidate, then let it be it because I won't share his views this time or stay at home," Aisha Al Hamari, a 28-year old banker, said in an interview at a polling station in Muscat.

An electoral watchdog official said women outnumbered men in many polling stations yesterday.

"I think the difference is that many women now realise that they need to get active in politics if they want to get their voices heard. Another reason is that this time around, women candidates have been reaching voters through public campaigns, which was not allowed last time," said Nahla Al Hinai, a member of the committee supervising the election.

Oman, for the first time, has allowed candidates to campaign using the media and through public speaking. Many candidates, including women, put up street posters and publicised their views on radio and television.

No woman is on the outgoing 84-member Shura council and the large turnout by women may indicate their determination to put a female candidate back in the assembly, some female candidates said.

"Many women candidates have had a very focused campaign this time through our advertisements in the media, street posters and even on Facebook.

"We have also urged them not to let their husbands tell them what to do," said Kamilya Busaidy, one of 77 female candidates.

Two women were elected in the 2002 and 2005 polls.

The Shura Council, which started in 1992, has no legislative powers but at the height of Oman's protests in April, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who has ruled Oman since 1970, promised to grant a say in the running of the government to the members. So far, he has not provided any details.

Protests and clashes broke out earlier this year when demonstrators demanded more jobs and reforms. The sultan promised 50,000 new civil servant posts and set aside the equivalent of Dh9.55 billion for other employment initiatives.

A total of 1,300 candidates are running in the election. In the last election, there were 21 women candidates out of 700. About 500,000 people registered to vote this time, up from 300,000 in 2007.

In April, Oman's top Islamic cleric made a rare political statement to strongly support female candidates and urge voters to avoid tribalism and graft.