Amina Al-Zakwani

Omani pioneer who broke gender barriers in education and government

Amina bint Abdulwahab Al-Zakwani (b.1958) shattered gender norms in Oman by becoming the first female minister in 1997. As Education Minister until 2004, she increased female university enrollment from 30% to 50% through scholarship programs and building girls' schools. Her 1998 initiative to allow women to vote and run for office transformed Omani democracy. Al-Zakwani also pioneered the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center (https://www.sqcc.om), promoting Arab cultural heritage. She currently chairs the Oman Women's Association and teaches at Sultan Qaboos University. Her 2002 book (Women in Oman: Modernization and Traditional Values) analyzes gender progress in the Gulf region.