Muscat – The General Federation of Oman Workers (GFOW), in cooperation with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), launched a three-day training programme on Monday to strengthen women’s leadership in trade unions and increase their participation in workplace representation and campaigning.

The programme – titled Women Trade Unionists: Leadership, Organisation and Impact –  running from October 19 to 21 focuses on developing participants’ leadership, communication, organising and campaigning skills.

It brings together members of women’s committees within trade unions, women trade unionists, female GFOW staff, representatives of the federation’s Committee for Non-Omani Workers and officials from relevant entities.

The training aims to equip participants to identify labour-related and organisational challenges, develop practical initiatives and campaigns, build stronger relationships with workers and use social media strategically to raise awareness of women workers’ issues.

Speaking at the opening, Suad Al Sulaimi, Chairperson of the GFOW Women’s Committee, said the programme was more than an opportunity to acquire knowledge, describing it as a platform for exchanging experiences, strengthening communication and learning from international practices in trade union leadership and women’s empowerment.

Four cooperation memoranda were signed on the sidelines of the programme to promote women workers’ empowerment, improve workplace participation and strengthen trade union engagement.

The agreements were signed between GFOW and Omantel; GFOW and Oman Human Resources Management Association; the General Union of the Industrial Sector and Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO); and the Trade Union of OMIFCO Workers and the company’s management.

The opening ceremony also honoured supporting organisations and chairwomen of women’s committees in recognition of their contributions to trade union activities and efforts to improve working conditions.

The first day featured an introduction to the ITUC’s Migrant Workers Programme, delivered by Zainab Abu Deeb, an ITUC trainer and consultant, alongside a session on empowering women workers through visual content production by Imad Al Raqadi, a GFOW content creator and visual production specialist.

The second day will cover women’s leadership, workplace communication, trade union organisation and the challenges and opportunities facing women trade unionists. The programme will conclude with a session on planning and implementing effective trade union campaigns.

Women’s representation in trade union structures has continued to develop. At the end of December 2025, four women served on the GFOW Board of Directors, while women held 71 seats on the governing bodies of trade unions and sectoral unions.