No women in Shura this time

"It is very sad," reacted Raheela Al Riyami, who finished third in Baushar constituency in her bid to get elected a third time.

She told Gulf News yesterday with not a single woman in the Council there won't be anyone to voice women's concerns at the Shura meetings.

Raheela, who has worked in the education sector for over 37 years, said she was elected the last two times not only to represent women but the entire wilayat (province) of Baushar. "We do represent our wilayat in Shura but we can talk about and give opinions on issues related to women," she said.

Sad but not disappointed

In the last two Shura terms two women representatives were elected and Raheela was one of them. This time 20 women contested the election.

Raheela stressed that although she was sad that no woman was in the Council, she was not disappointed. "There are a lot of other ways to serve the society," she said.

Barka Al Bakry, a social activist who champions the cause of the visually challenged, echoed Raheela's views. "It is indeed sad that not a single woman is elected to the Council. Instead of taking a step forward we have taken two steps backwards," she said.

She felt that candidates' inability to offer any kind of agenda put them back.

"I campaigned for Raheela and most voters wanted to know what she had done for the constituency and its voters or what she would do," she told Gulf News.

"We need transparency to take the democratic process forward. People want to know what the Shura members do for them. If they cannot be informed they will vote out candidates." She felt that several members failed to retain their seats this time. "Those who work need to inform people what work they have done or would do," she added.

But Barka added: "[As] they are fathers of women, brothers of women and husbands of women, men will take up issues relating to women." She pointed out that Oman was the first GCC state to make special efforts to get women elected to the Council. "We don't need women's votes to get women elected."

Sahar Al Ka'abi, who is the founder of the country's only women's cafe in Muscat, felt the Shura results showed the time has come to reserve a seat for women. "I think we should keep one seat reserved for women only so that we will ensure at leest one representative in the Council," she told Gulf News over phone from Syria where she is attending a conference on 'Women on Investing'.

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