Caledonian College holds first forum for female engineers in Oman

Muscat: Around 100 female students attended Caledonian College’s first Women Engineers Forum. “The engineering profession is no longer a male dominated field as it’s usually known,” Dean of the college, Dr Ahmed Balushi said. 52 per cent of Caledonian’s engineering students are female, but only 11 per cent actually work after receiving a higher education, according to a report by the Ministry of Manpower.
“There is a disparity between students in higher education pursuing an engineering career and practitioners.
“We decided to create a forum to discuss the challenges and strategies that would drive a balance between the two. It is a big loss for the country when they (women engineers) are not accepted in the industry,” he said.
Nadhira Al Hinai, chairperson of the Women’s Engineer Chapter of the Oman Society of Engineers, stated that women still face glass ceilings, in Oman and around the world, when it comes to being an engineer.
“When I started university in the U.K., my professor thought I had walked into the wrong classroom because I was the only female student. It took him three months to finally accept me as an equal with the rest of the students, and this was in England. When I moved to the UAE (United Arab Emirates), I faced similar challenges, but also very different. When I came back to Oman, I faced another set of challenges which were once again different than my past experiences.”
“There are more opportunities given to women in the private sector, but we still face challenges. Many times, women engineers are placed at a desk and are asked to do paperwork. You are not doing engineering work; that is administration. Don’t be afraid to get out and go on site,” Al Hinai said.
According to Dr Sharifa Al Balushi, head of quality at the Ministry of Higher Education, around 63 per cent of the private sector is dominated by women, 36 per cent of the public sector represents women, and there are no women who own their own business.
Meanwhile, Wafa Al Sumri cited PDO as being a female friendly company to work with.