Author(s)

Saif Juma Salim Al Weshahi

English Language Center, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Shinas, Oman.

This paper explores why many Omani women choose not to complete their higher education studies overseas in affluent countries such as the UK, America, Canada, or Australia. The study has shown that with a gender population of about 50/50 in schools and where the World Bank report indicates that female students’ outcomes outperform male students’ within a high-income country context of Oman, the percentage of females who obtain external scholarships is underrepresented compared with men. It has also revealed that Omani women are to some extent cognitively stymied to perpetuating wrong conceptions and beliefs toward studying abroad, and this could be attributed to the influence of essentialization, socio-cultural conventions, religious misinterpretations, and micro-political practices which have relatively restricted Omani women’s independence to pursue their aspirations. The article has investigated the status quo of gender equity in Oman and discussed what education should do to ensure more inclusive and equitable quality education, enable Omani women to realize their capabilities, and promote life-long learning opportunities for all. However, this account must be approached with caution because gender identity results from a complex interplay between structure and agency. In this study, data are collected using only a literature-based approach.

Gender, Equity, Autonomy, Overseas Study, Capability Approach, Essentialism

Weshahi, S. (2022) Factors Influencing Omani Women’s Autonomy to Study Overseas: A Synthesis of the Literature. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 10, 217-226. doi: 10.4236/jss.2022.1013017.