Syrian women venture into work areas that were confined to men

Al Hayat daily highlighted in a special feature today a new aspect in the life of Syrian women who are venturing into the men’s workplace, especially after being left as sole breadwinners of their immediate and extended families. Displaced Syrian women, Al Hayat wrote, were driven to look for work anywhere and at minimal wage to provide for their children. And when they could not find their call in the jammed labor market due to high demand by their peers, they sought occupations that were not long ago restricted to men. They targeted vacant occupations (usually occupied by men) and at the same time wanted to prove to their community that they are not any less than men no matter how arduous or tough the job, Al Hayat said. There are too many examples out on the streets and all over the city, the newspaper wrote, portraying a brave woman who parks her bike mounted with children’s favorite snacks and pastries every day in front of schools. And in the afternoon, this same woman replaces the snacks with cleaning detergents and kitchen utensils to sell for women on the streets and in parks. For more on the subject, the newspaper interviewed a number of women, like Dalal, in her twenties, who works at a bakery to help with the family’s expenses. In the beginning, Dalal told the reporter, she found it awkward to be with a bunch of men workers, but later she felt comfortable and they got into the habit of her daily presence. Um Mohamad, another bold woman, who works in a cement factory, said that the job was very rough when she first started as it required stamina and physical aptness in summer and winter. After she ran out of her savings, she was forced to start work, Um Mohamad boasted, mentioning a colleague at the same factory who drives a truck loaded with cement blocks and sand. (Al Hayat, December 1, 2016)

 

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