Progress Amid Resistance

340 WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICAThe Basic Law grants citizens limited civil liberties and Article 17pro hibits discrimination on the basis of “gender, origin, color, language,re ligion, sect, domicile, or social status.” 5 Article 12 further guaranteesjustice, equality, and equal opportunity. The inclusion of protection fromgender-based discrimination in the Basic Law is an important safeguardfor women’s rights, but because the Article 17 applies only to citizens, thecountry’s large population of foreign guest workers, particularly femaledomestic servants, is left vulnerable to discrimination.Despite constitutional guarantees, the laws and policies of Oman continueto subject women to gender-based discrimination. Men are heavilyfavored in personal status matters, and married women are legally requiredto secure their husband’s permission before they may obtain passports. 6Omani women may not transfer citizenship to their noncitizen spousesand children, who must obtain and renew their residency visas every twoyears, while Omani men may do so without restriction. 7 Noncitizen husbandsare also not permitted to work without a sponsor.Both men and women are entitled to equal access to justice by law, butaccess for Omani women is limited as a practical matter, in part becausemany women remain uninformed about laws and procedures that apply tothem. Compounding this problem, women are severely underrepresentedin the legal field. While no formal statistics exist regarding the male-tofemaleratio among legal professionals, only five women serve as generalprosecutors, and of the 117 lawyers permitted to appeal to the Omanihigh court, only two are women. 8 Moreover, although no law prohibitsit, customs and traditions forbid women from acting as judges, a practicethat neither governmental nor nongovernmental entities have challenged.That women constitute such a small percentage of legal professionals isdetrimental for many women seeking justice, particularly those living inconservative rural areas who are generally reluctant to discuss their legalgrievances with or be represented by male attorneys.Rules of criminal procedure were established through royal decree inDecember 1999 to regulate evidentiary processes for criminal cases, measuresfor entering cases into the criminal system, and detailed provisionsfor a public trial. Despite those reforms, certain provisions of Oman’spenal code continue to subject women to gender-based discrimination.Under Article 252 of the Penal Code (No. 7 of 1974), a man who commitsa crime against his wife or a female relative immediately after havingsurprised her in an act of adultery may receive a reduced penalty or be