The identity of Zanzibari women has been greatly shaped through migration. The 1964 revolution in Zanzibar caused many Zanzibaris to flee to Oman. This created a complex identity and search for belonging among the Zanzibari population. The experiences Zanzibari women faced in the 1964 revolution largely impacted their lives, families, and marriages. Thus, these factors established the move to Oman for many Zanzibari women in search of refuge and opportunity. 

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The violence committed towards Zanzibari women during the 1964 revolution and after, was a major factor in the mass migration of Zanzibaris to Oman.  The 1964 revolution sparked an increase in sexual violence committed against women in Zanzibar. This became incredibly common since it was seen as a way to suppress Zanzibari's political participation (Napoli and Saleh 164). Zanzibari women were widely involved in advocating for the Zanzibari movement for political emancipation (Napoli and Saleh 163). Therefore, this made them the primary targets of these attacks. Often, this practice was utilized since it caused many to feel shame and made them fearful of political involvement (Napoli and Saleh 164). Although the revolution incited an uptick in sexual violence, it continued long after. Over the past several decades following the Revolution of 1964, the Union government relied on sexual violence towards Zanzibari women as a way to continue the suppression of Zanzibari participation in politics (Napoli and Saleh 162). The violence and fear women in Zanzibar faced was widespread. More currently, in 2001 the police and military still relied on sexual violence for intimidation, especially against those who supported the opposition party (Napoli and Saleh 167). The violence committed against Zanzibari women was a major component of what pushed them to flee to Oman.

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The process of migration has been present for the Omani-Zanzibari family for a couple centuries. In fact, “Nearly fifty-five thousand people, a sizable number of the local population, migrated to Zanzibar by mid-1850” (Abusharaf 70). Therefore, when the 1964 revolution sent many Omani-Zanzibari families to Oman, it resembled a return for some. Yet after a century in Zanzibar, the Omani-Zanzibari families had acquired a Zanzibari identity, so the migration to Oman in 1964 complicated this. The influx of Zanzibaris to Oman after the 1964 revolution created a new dynamic in terms of family. The search for a new familial identity was present in migration.

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The history of the family unit in Oman presents a complicated dynamic as well, which can reveal the difficulties the immigrants from Zanzibar in the twentieth century encountered in terms of belonging. In Oman, consanguine marriages were widely common (Abusharaf 63). This was attributed to a history of involvement of politics in families (Abusharaf 64). Since politics played a major role in the family unit, consanguineous marriages aided in keeping the family close. Furthermore, concubines were also typical in Omani marriages. Concubinage was particularly important in the royal families since it allowed for alliances to be formed among the sons of the different concubines (Abusharaf 78).  This represented a direct implementation of politics in the home through this marriage practice. Furthermore, this demonstrated that, “Politics rather than kinship underlies the symbolic representation of the family” (Abusharaf 72). These practices exemplification the patriarchal nature of society and family.

  Today the marriage practices of Zanzibaris are vastly influenced by religion. Most Zanzibaris are Muslim, specifically, “90 percent” (Abusharaf 83). Due to this, Zanzibari Muslims follow traditional Muslim marriage practices. Katrina Daly Thompson presents marriage traditions of Zanzibari Muslim women in her autoethnographic novel which follows a woman entering into a Zanzibari Muslim marriage and compares it to her own experience. This firsthand account reveals the predominantly patriarchal society and gender roles within this group. The feelings expressed by Asha, the woman whose marriage experience is documented, display the potential fear and lack of choice women face in these marriages. While this is only one account of Zanzibari Muslim marriage, it discloses a great deal in terms of women’s experiences dictated by patriarchal norms existing within the group.

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In modern Oman, there is a more accepting culture with vast opportunities. This is especially true for Zanzibari women in Oman. There tend to be more opportunities for women since equality and equal opportunity is promoted (Al-Mahrooqi and Tuzlukova). A wide range of opportunities exists for women in Oman, which helps progress women’s rights in the public sphere. The establishment of equal opportunity jobs for women is a great appeal of living in Oman. Additionally, Zanzibari women were some of the first to participate in the “modern Omani workforce,” (Matthews 227). The opportunities afforded to Zanzibari women in Oman are a significant component in the quality of life.

The experiences and struggles Zanzibari women faced illustrating their migration to Oman. The 1964 revolution ignited violence against women in Zanzibar, that continued long after, was a significant factor in their move to Oman. Once in Oman, they were met with the challenges of blending in and discovering their new personal and familial identity. Although they were faced with a search for belonging, Oman offered more equal opportunity. The history of Zanzibari women has been greatly shaped through their migration between Zanzibar and Oman.