Household food security in Oman: The role of women consumers

This research aims to investigate the extent to which Omani women can contribute towards the national food security of Oman with respect to their households by answering to the need of filling the gap in research and literature available in Oman and in countries in the Gulf region. The focus of this research was mainly on the utilissation aspect of food and the awareness of women in two regions of Oman. This was investigated using a combination of methods that included face-to-face interviews, online discussion groups and self-completion questionnaires to explore the social beliefs, practices and attitudes women adopt in relation to food purchase, storage, preparation and consumption which were considered as important parts of the food system, and to identify the range of support systems/services available to women from public/ private bodies. The findings of this research demonstrate that women play a major role in ensuring the food security of their households and that they have a high level of willingness to improve the safety and nutrition status of the food served to their families. It was observed that respondents of different age groups and income levels had similar tendencies to follow habits and customs as opposed to acquiring new knowledge or information. The findings also confirm the positive effect of women’s education and empowerment on the overall improvement and sustainability of household and national food security.