Women’s News: Omani women’s role in financial sector lauded

By Elham Pourmohammadi

Muscat: Oman has been a pioneer in training women in the finance sector and women’s participation in finance positions in the Sultanate is very high, according to Helen Brand, chief executive of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the global body for professional accountants.

“In terms of ACCA, both men and women, Oman has been pioneering in training Omanis to become qualified finance professionals through the ACCA qualification,” Helen told Times of Oman in an interview.

The participation of women in finance positions in Oman has been “very high” compared to other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, she said, adding that around 40 per cent of ACCA’s members in Oman are locals.

Read More: http://www.timesofoman.com/News/Article-30917.aspx

Women’s News: 8 Women Who Already Made The World A Better Place In 2014

1. Afghanistan’s first female police chief showed the world what courage looks like.

Col. Jamila Bayaz was appointed to run security in the Kabul’s District 1 in January, becoming the first woman in such a senior frontline role. The mother-of-5 is responsible for policing an area of the Afghan capital that includes the presidential palace, government ministries and the central bank. “This is a chance not just for me, but for the women of Afghanistan,” she told NBC. “I will not waste it. I will prove that we can handle this burden.”

Women in Afghanistan have faced a steep battle to reenter the workforce and public life after the end of the Taliban’s restrictive rule. They still face considerable obstacles including discrimination from an ultraconservative society and the threat of militant attacks. Afghan policewomen have been targeted by insurgents and several women in public office were assassinated in 2013, according to the Associated Press. Bayaz is undaunted: “I am ready to serve, I am not scared nor am I afraid,” she told AP.

Read More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/08/inspirational-women-2014_n_4919500.html?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women

Women’s News: 5 Reasons Why Every Woman Needs a Girls Weekend

Abby Draper

Publicist in Beverly Hills

You know when Big stands Carrie up at the altar and it’s just the worst, so the girls take her to Mexico (and Charlotte sh*ts her pants)? While spending time with your significant other, children if applicable, colleagues and acquaintances is wonderful and important, every woman needs a good “girls weekend” every so often, at any age. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or elaborate, but a simple few days away from the norm with some women you trust is a special kind of cleanse, especially when you’re going through a tough time. Why?

Read More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/abby-draper/5-reasons-why-every-woman-needs-a-girls-weekend_b_4876468.html?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women

Women News: 9 ‘Perfect’ Female Bodies That Prove There’s No Such Thing

By Renee Jacques

In 2013, we started to hear rumblings of an unusual fashion comeback: the corset. Yes, the garment worn in the 1800s that cinched in women’s stomachs and left them in pain is being revamped and rebranded as a modern form of dieting. Even Jessica Alba was reported to have tried this bizarre diet, wearing a corset for 12 hours a day for an experience she called “sweaty, but worth it.”

If you already think that’s insane, consider the fact that doctors said that wearing a corset in order to lose weight is extremely damaging. According to bariatric physician Jyotindra Shah, M.D, it could cause bruising to internal organs, damage skin and restrict breathing.

Read More:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/perfect-female-bodies-no-such-thing_n_4726196.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Women’s News: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie On The TEDx Talk Beyonce Sampled And Why We Should Forget Feminism’s ‘Baggage’

By Emma Gray

What does it take to get to the top — without losing your center? Our “Making It Work” series profiles successful, dynamic women who are standouts in their fields, peeling back the “hows” of their work and their life, taking away lessons we can all apply to our own.

“Feminist: A person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.”

Read More:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/06/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-feminism_n_4907241.html?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women

Women’s News: Reese Witherspoon Talks ‘Weak’ Female Characters And One Thing Women Should Focus On In 2014

What does it take to get to the top — without losing your center? Our “Making It Work” series profiles successful, dynamic women who are standouts in their fields, peeling back the “hows” of their work and their life, taking away lessons we can all apply to our own.

Reese Witherspoon attended a young women’s conference at her teenaged-daughter’s school in Los Angeles, Calif. last month and was in good company: she brought along her own mother, her good friend Mindy Kaling and joined notable women like Maria Shriver and Lisa Leslie for a day of events and discussions.

Read More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/reese-witherspoon-women-making-it-work_n_4832527.html?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women

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Women’s News: The 7 Things I Wish I Knew At 16

Sarah Klegman

Writer, Digital Manager (Social Media)

I’m you from the future. We’re 26, but we still don’t feel like a grown up. Our boobs have come in, we’ve been in love with someone who loves us back, and once in a terrible blue moon, someone will call us “ma’am.” Even though we still freak out every time we meet a cute guy, we’re smarter than we get credit for.

There’s a lot left to learn, but here are the seven things I wish I had known:

1. You are not as gross looking as you think you are. Just take my word on this. Your body is still new. Those hips, that belly, those thighs. People grow at different paces, so you can’t compare yourself to the stick-thin kid that sits in front of you and has perfect hair. Go a full week without staring at your naked body in the mirror — FOR REAL — and see what happens.

Read More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-klegman/the-7-things-i-wish-i-kne_b_4812816.html?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women