I’m on both side of the mirror 2

 As I was growing, I was lucky enough to be taught that not much difference between me and my brothers. Everyone had a role in the house, gardening, washing the dishes and so on.

That taught me that really there is no difference what I can achieve as a woman, nothing can stop me from reaching what I want though I had great realization of what is my surrounding environment including tradition.

This course continued as I moved to a household surrounded with ladies, it added my feeling that womanhood is just a physical status not more not less and that had helped me to build confidence including the feeling that I’m capable young woman.

What I was not equipped for that I need to acknowledge that I’m an Omani woman, witnessing a great era of my country where the great leadership of my country calls on women empowerment in all level.  Yet this motion is progressing perhaps not as fast as I might expected cause the reality remains that Oman, is still have not got away from the description of being a traditionally male-dominated society, and women are beginning to make their mark.  Although the U.N. Program on Governance in the Arab Region describes Oman as "one of the more progressive states in the Gulf region in the area of women's rights." But But it acknowledges, "Female participation in the workforce remains low and areas of discrimination persist."[1]

The issue of women’s right  does not only refer only in terms of work force, it is my belief that the work of women’s right is still work on progress. This goes back to my story as married woman, from outside I feel so much empowered but when it comes to home front it feels so restrictive. It’s a daily fight to spread awareness in my own household that there is no difference between a woman and man. If a man gives himself a full right to enjoy life or grasp on opportunities to the maximum so does a woman have to enjoy such right.   For instance, If a man can travel for work and work on career advancement, a woman should be supported equally to gain that too if she wishes so.

Note:

The above is just personal opinion and it is not generalized on all More of personal thought to posted soon..

References:

1-      http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-27/world/oman.businesswoman_1_women-entrepreneurs-frankincense-male-dominated-society?_s=PM:WORLD

2-      Feminist Theology

3-      http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-02-20/opinion/17190740_1_exclusion-from-informal-networks-tiger-leadership-positions

4-      http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/Publications/mtelhaddad.pdf

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Being On Both Side of the Mirror

Collective Thoughts

Conference about Living With Cancer. Coping with Emotion and Change

Living With Cancer. Coping with Emotion and Change
Written By Nasra Al Adawi


It was such privilege to be invited to attended conference on “Living With Cancer. Coping with Emotion and Change” organized by the National Association for Cancer Awareness on Sunday 14th and Monday 15th March 2010. Since I have strong interest on campaigning on cancer awareness, it was a chance that I could not miss.


One of the areas that conference had discussed had been so appealing and at the same time very emotional was the topic Palliative Care presented by Dr. Mahmoud Foda.

The goal of Palliative Care as explained in wikipedia is to prevent and relieve suffering and to improve quality of life for people facing serious, complex illness. Dr. Mahmoud Foda also opened the discussion on the need to establish such model in Oman and how a civil society organization as the National Association for Cancer Awareness can be a wheeling channel to initiate a Palliative Care for cancer patients. He also explained models in USA which are termed as Hospice Care which provided palliative care for those at the end of life in parallel supporting the their families emotionally and psychologically.


As for the second round table discussion was about Volunteerism presented by HE Dr. Wahid Al Kharusi, the discussion had emphasized that though many are registered as volunteers but its only few numbers are available or committed to volunteer.

He also questioned if there is any framework that can be used in retaining a pool of volunteers committed and ways to alliance the efforts between the civil society organizations. Among the related topics are whether there is any kind of policy available to protect volunteers, volunteer management system including the organization itsself having a plan on its needs, motivation and retaining volunteers, organizations that provided training for volunteers in Oman, youth volunteers need to be tabbed. The discussion led to a number of recommendations that will implemented through forming a group overseeing the implementation.






On a final personal thought, the conference had been very educative and as I look forward for continuation of this conference, I would also be interested to take part in hearing patients lesson learned or they stories on Living With Cancer and Coping with Emotion and Change together hearing the point of view of their families.

My part of how I cope on the thought of loosing my father to cancer, first is the believe that all of us will go to the same direction. In our religion Islam, its part of the teaching to accept that death is part of destiny that we have take. Its always hard to know that my father is longer here, but its consoling to know that a bit of sharing my thought can help others.

The book Within Myself even though it portrayed stories of women going beyond cancer it helped me in helping others it had relieved me from anger and sadness towards myself and I’m thankful for all the miracles that sparked my way in realizing a dream.

~My Childhood Pages~

CANCER CENTER
Originally uploaded by evolver115

By Nasra Al Adawi

~My Childhood Pages ~

Its crayon that I like
Painting rainbow skies
I can swim in watercolors
Color Splash beyond my room
Blowing bubbles in shining colors
Mixed with giggles and laughter
And my trees are drawn
No only in brown and green
I'm painting a bright new world

Recently Dar Al Atta Association introduced Connecting With Colors, a calendar of art collection by children with chronic illness at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital with the support of Qalhat LNG.

What makes this collection unique is that on each page it takes you to a child's journey. A child who often has to deal with many challenges of having chronic illness from continues hospital admissions, the frequency of medication, often a child misses school and not to forget the massive medical procedures and testing. Yet, in the calendar, each child creative work had taken us into a brighter world; not only the usage of color but the subjects that had been explored by the children themselves had been nothing but a hopeful side.

Connecting With Colors had translated a simple message that art is not just a form of play, it is a medium of expression a linking point for the body and mind. One can only agree with Semir Zeki, a former professor of neurobiology at the University College, London and co-head of the Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, who published an article, “Artistic Creativity and the Brain,” in Science Magazine, in July 2001 where he stated that artistic expression is the key to comprehending ourselves. Now hearing words like Art Therapy makes so much sense, if you take time to view the creativity of the children at SQU Hospital you will find no difference between their art and any ordinary child. Art is a medium of therapy that helps to eliminate a frightening experience into fun and creative atmosphere.

Here is an immense applaud for those behind such creative difference, hope all our pediatric wards and waiting rooms be filled with colors and paper to encourage children's art especially for children who faces social and emotional difficulties related to illness or disability.

Connecting With Colors Calendar can be bought at Dar Al Atta Association in Madinat Sultan Qaboos Tel: 24692996 for benefit to encourage children's art in Sultan Qaboos University Hospital.

Photo is taken on TUESDAY JANUARY 31 2006 -- Jackson Fontenot, 3, of Mascoutah, Il., paints a picture frame at the St. John's Mercy Hospital, David C. Pratt Cancer Center while waiting for Gail Dietl, the local organizing committee member for the U.S. figure skating championships held in St. Louis this month. Dietl donated about 150 stuffed animals to the children at the St. John's Mercy Hospital, David C. Pratt Cancer Center. Jackson was at the cancer center with his older brother Brandon Fontenot, 6, who is afflicted with aplastic anemia, a condition in which the bone marrow is unable to produce blood cells. It has been in remission since August of 2005.
PHOTO BY JASON E. TAYLOR / ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH