Women's Political Participation in Oman: State, Society, and Culture

Abstract

This dissertation studies the social, legal, and institutional factors that hinder women in Oman from advancing their political participation from the perspective of female candidates. The main finding is that lager women's political engagement requires changing laws, combating tribalism, and granting A Shura council effective parliamentary powers. The interviews of Twenty-five Omani female candidates explain in this dissertation how cultural, legal, and institutional factors impact women's political participation and representation. This dissertation also, investigates the links between women's social and legal status and the size of women's political engagement. The findings of the research conclude that tribalism and the use of money in exchange for votes are the major factors among all factors that limit women's chances to win elections. All participants agree that these two factors are the most effective tools in persuading voters to vote for a candidate regardless of the gender/sex of the candidate. The finding of this dissertation illustrates that the tribal, patriarchal, and hierarchal systems obstruct women's progress in the elections and affect their campaigns. They have a significant impact on women's campaigning and therefore, their chances to win and increase their representation in the elected councils. To address the dissertation question: how Omani female candidates understood the reasons or causes of hardship to win elections, this dissertation applies standpoint theory as well as phenomenology methodology in order to critically examines women