International indicators on women
MUSCAT: The Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) on Tuesday reviewed international and regional reports and indicators on women as part of a three-day workshop in joint cooperation between the General Directorate of Family Development, represented by the Women’s Affairs Department, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
Wadha bint Salem al Alawi, Director of the Women’s Affairs Department at the Ministry of Social Development, stated that the Social Work Strategy of the Ministry (2016-2025) serves as the foundation for new social policies aimed at women’s development to increase their contribution to the comprehensive development process and enhance their position within the family.
Nadia Khalifa, Regional Adviser for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment at ESCWA, explained that measuring gender equality development in most countries is achieved through various global indicators such as the Global Gender Gap Index, the Global Index on Women, Peace, and Security, and the World Bank’s Special Index on Women, Business, and the Law.
She noted that these indicators provide insight into countries’ performance worldwide regarding women’s human rights in education, health, economic work, and political participation.
ESCWA has developed a comprehensive project to assist countries in understanding global and gender-related indicators, offering an interactive tool to enhance their performance on global indicators and learn from successful policies of other countries. The workshop includes 10 working sessions covering topics such as the Indicators Simulation Tool for Policymakers in the Arab World, the United Nations Program’s Human Development Index, and the Global Index for Women, Peace, and Motherhood.
The workshop also addresses various aspects of gender equality and assesses obstacles to closing the gender gap in the Sultanate of Oman.