Egypt, a country where only 14.3 per cent of women are formally employed, has now marked another milestone with the Cairo metro recruiting the country’s first female train drivers to expand its services to a population of nearly 20 million people. To safeguard women from sexual harassment, the Cairo Metro offers reserved carriages for those who do not want to travel with men.
Cairo Metro, launched in 1987, being the oldest in the Arab world, falls behind the other Arab countries in providing job opportunities for women.
According to its two pioneers, women have already taken control of the drivers’ cab since April, offending many, from raising eyebrows to making faces of disgust. Egyptian women have had the right to vote and stand for office since 1956, but patriarchal laws and a predominately male culture have severely restricted personal freedoms.
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Hind Omar, a business graduate, and mother of two, rushed to apply to be a train driver. Eager to be the first one, in conversation with AFP, she said, “I have several thousand lives in my hands every day.” The 30-year-old woman, proudly wearing her neon jacket and her black and white hijab, said that her family has always been supportive.
Omar further claimed that the tests for women aspiring to be train drivers had been difficult and required the applicants to exhibit their ‘attention span’ and ‘endurance.’ She further claimed that women need to be watchful for long hours during the six-day working week.
Another woman qualified to be the train driver. Suzanne Mohammed, 32, recounted being initially seen sitting on the driver’s seat by the passengers on the platform.
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She further stated that in a country where women have restricted access to numerous careers, she said that people were astonished. In conversation with AFP, she said that there were several passengers who were afraid and doubted her skills, and felt they were not safe with a woman in control.
The Cairo Metro is planning to add three new lines. Omar said, “pave the way for other women,” encouraging them to be train drivers, and there are many waiting to be one.
(With inputs from agencies)
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