Sidrah Female Leadership Programme celebrates conclusion of inaugural edition

Sidrah, a youth leadership programme for young women ages 18 to 25, has marked the completion of its inaugural edition with its concluding celebration. Attended by HE Professor Rahmabint Ibrahim Al Mahrooqi, Oman’s Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the event showcased the journey so far of Sidrah and told the story of the girls and their enriching learning experience over the spread of 6 months.

Co-designed and co-run by Lahunna Oman and Outward Bound Oman, Sidrah was launched in Oman in June 2022 to serve the unique needs of young Omani women across the Sultanate of Oman, creating a balance between theoretical concepts and pragmatic exercises. Its mission is to prepare the next generation in creative problem solving, leading change, character development, service learning, and civic engagement by reinforcing our Omani values, social responsibility and citizenship.

ShathaSalim Al Maskiry, Lahunna’s Founder, said: “As a natural extension of Lahunna’s objectives, the first edition of Sidrah helped more than 40 young women build a stronger sense of self and purpose by developing their abilities to critically think, collaborate and solve problems, as well as harnessing their emotional intelligence to network and communicate effectively.”

She added, “The Sidrah Women had access to mentors in various fields which not only provided the young women a pathway towards expanded options for their careers and lives, but also personally gave me hope that the next generation can create a better future by being agents of change. Our participants learnt that they do not require championing nor empowering – they have all it takes to excel. I can't wait to see how much more they will achieve from here with the boost of confidence they have now.”

Mark Evans, OBO’s Executive Director, said, “We have been privileged to continue our decade-plus journey of making an impact on youth in Oman. One aim of our courses is to generate and develop the next generation of future leaders for the nation, our partner Lahunna Oman complimented this program in Phase II by catering to the intellectual needs of the young women to cultivate their leadership skills and create an expansive network of connections to expand their professional horizons. The development they have shown throughout the programme has been fantastic to witness – and a tribute to the careful planning, in-depth and continuous observation that went into the programme by Lahunna Oman.”

Sidrah employed a two-phased approach. Phase I focused on experiential learning, held over four days in June 2022 at Outward Bound Oman’s JabalAkhdar Training Centre. Phase II was an intensive six months of coaching and mentoring represented by NYAA in Singapore, Protiviti and IDENTITY. The program was further complemented with guest speakers who were CEOs, Parliamentarians, academics, industry experts and entrepreneurs.

Gratitude was also extended to Oman Shell, SoharFreezone& Port, VISA, OMRAN, and Sabco Media (Al Wisal, Merge 104.8 and Virgin Radio Oman) for their generous support and sponsorship.