Today, is International Women’s Day. And this year’s theme is a balanced world is a better world. International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8. The day has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911. The day is not country, group or organization specific – and belongs to all groups collectively everywhere.

Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”

So make International Women’s Day your day and do what you can to truly make a positive difference for women.

As part of International Women’s Day, we have featured six inspiring Oman women for our readers.

Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said

Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said is a remarkable icon in the health sector in Oman, as she established “Whispers of Serenity Clinic for Mental Health”, which is the first mental health clinic in the country. She is known for her unique efforts to raise awareness about mental health in Oman and the Gulf region. She is a psychotherapist and a hypnotherapist who won several awards which include: “Golden Recognition Award” by the Arab Women Council, the GR8! Women Achievers Awards, and an Honorary Doctorate for youth volunteer projects.

Meet Maha Al Balushi, Oman’s first female pilot

Maha Al Balushi is the first Omani female senior first officer pilot. Al Balushi proved herself in completely male-dominated profession, proving to women in Oman that they can do everything they aspire to reach. Al Baluchi’s family thought she would change her mind and switch to a different career, but her determination made them support her journey until the great success. She started her career by flying Boeing 737s, and moved to eventually co-piloting the amazing Airbus A330.

Fatma Al Nabhani

Fatma Al Nabhani is the region’s only professional female tennis player, who discovered her talent by the age of nine as she won the West Asian Championship in the under-13 category. During her professional career, she has won four singles and four doubles titles on the ITF tour. Nike made a video about her as a unique example and role model for women athletes in the Arab World.

Safiya Al Bahlani

Safiya Al Bahlani is one of the enterprising and most inspirational young women of Oman. She was born with no hands and at the age of three was adopted and raised by a single Omani mother. Despite her disability, she never went to a special-needs school, which encouraged her to stand up for herself and be independent and proud of who she is. She used art as therapy to express her feelings and document her experiences. Now, at the age of thirty, she is one of the most in-demand artists for her graphic design, animation, art and talk show.

Ibtisam Al Salmi

Ibtisam Al Salmi is one of the first professional female sailors in the Middle East. She started in the profession when she was a student, by volunteering in one of Oman Sail’s event as an instructor. Then, she moved to participating in competitive sailing, and she joined different sailing races around Oman and the Arab countries.

Thuriya al Abdali

Thuriya Al Abdal is one of the top taekwondo fighters in Oman and one of the few female taekwondo instructors. She inherited her fighting skills from her father who is an instructor too, and who encouraged her to train from the age of three. Although it is an unusual sport to be practised by women in Oman, Al Abdali participated in around ten competitions in the country, in which she won eight gold and two silver medals. In 2015, she won second place after fighting a Russian player in The World Taekwondo Hanmadnag in South Korea.